Ray Charles Essay -- Biography Biographies Pianist Singers Essays

give off Charles radiotherapy Charles was a revolutionary pianist and a soul singer who helped shape the sound of rhythm and blues. He brought a soulful sound to everything from country music to pop standards to God signalize America. His have got name was Ray Charles Robinson, only if he shortened it when he entered show business to avoid confusion with the famous boxer net income Ray Robinson. I chose Ray Charles as the topic for my paper aft(prenominal) seeing the movie Ray. After viewing this film I recognize that there was a lot of interesting information ab forth Ray Charles that I had never heard about. Therefore, the focus of my paper is to learn who Ray Charles really was and to discuss his life and achievements. The Early YearsRay Charles was innate(p) in Albany, Georgia. Around the age of five, Charles began to go blind and by age seven he was totally blind. I was shocked when I versed this information because I had al styluss thought that Ray Charles was blind fr om birth. Although many a(prenominal) are non certain to the exact reasons as to why Charles went blind, it was believed to be the result of glaucoma. Just before his eyes began to fail him, he had seen his jr. brother, George, drown in a washtub. This part of his life was well visualized in the movie Ray. Ray states, We were out in the backyard one mean solar day while my mom was in the house ironing some clothes. We were playacting by a huge metal washtub full of body of water. And we were having gun the way boys do, pushing and jostling each other around. Now, I never did do just how it happened, but my brother somehow tilted over the lip of this tub and fell down, slid down into the water and slipped under. At first I thought he was still playing, but it finally dawned on me that he wasnt moving. He wasnt reacting. I tried to pull him out of the water, but by that time his clothes had gotten soaked by dint of with water and he was just too heavy for me. So I ran in and g ot my mom, and she raced out back and snatched him out of the tub. She shook him, and breathed into his mouth, and pumped his lower-ranking stomach, but it was too late. (Internet source, 1) Witnessing his brother drown besides had a full effect on him in his later years. Young Ray Charles go to school at the St. Augustine School for the deaf and blind in St. Augustine, Florida as a charity case. While there he learned how to lease Braille and to write music and play various instru... ...thed. This theme is also apparent in all of the discussion that we had in class referring to the birth of African slave songs, the blues, jazz, and even spirituals. It seems that black people had to go through a struggle in order to produce great music. foul people also had to overcome their situations and I think Ray has proved to be a prime example. Despite of his handicap he did not let this bring him too far down. Ray Charles, eventually overcame sex, drugs and shiver n roll to live a l ong and prosperous life in the limelight, there are hundreds, if not thousands of anonymous artists who die of an overdose (even in this story, one of Rays lovers ODs), waste away with a sexually transmitted disease, or simply wash out, unremembered and unfulfilled. Ray Charles may have passed away but his life and legacy along with his numerous musical hits will forever and a day remain in our hearts. BibliographyBreznican, Anthony. Internet Source. November 5, 2004.http//www.suntimes.com/output/movies/wkp-news-Ray05.html.Ray Charles forever.com (I was not certain how to site this Because there was no author or title to the scallywag however, The address is given) http//raycharlesforever.com.