Ray Charles Worksheet1

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QUICK FACTS
• NAME: Ray Charles

• OCCUPATION: Pianist, Singer
• BIRTH DATE: September 23, 1930
• DEATH DATE: June 10, 2004
• EDUCATION: Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St.
Augustine
BEST KNOWN FOR
Ray Charles was a pioneer of soul music. He is ranked as one of the

greatest artist of all time, known for blindness, beloved for his music.
Well-known for his blindness, Ray Charles was one of America's greatest
musicians. He pioneered the genre of soul music during the 1950s by
fusing rhythm & blues, gospel, and blues. His records include controlled
slurs, shouts, and shrieks. Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on
their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004. His music pervades
American culture. He died in 2004.
(born Sept. 23, 1930, Albany, Ga., U.S.—died June 10, 2004, Beverly Hills,
Calif.) American pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader, a leading black
entertainer billed as “the Genius.” Charles was credited with the early
development of soul music, a style based on a melding of gospel, rhythm
and blues, and jazz music.
When Charles was an infant his family moved to Greenville, Fla., and he
began his musical career at age five on a piano in a neighbourhood café.
He began to go blind at six, possibly from glaucoma, and had completely
lost his sight by age seven. He attended the St. Augustine School for the
Deaf and Blind, where he concentrated on musical studies, but left school
at age 15 to play the piano professionally after his mother died from cancer
(his father had died when the boy was 10).
Charles built a remarkable career based on the immediacy of emotion in

his performances. After emerging as a blues and jazz pianist indebted to
Nat King Cole's style in the late 1940s, Charles recorded the boogie-
woogie classic “Mess Around” and the novelty song “It Should've Been Me”
in 1952–53. His arrangement for Guitar Slim's “The Things That I Used to
Do” became a blues million-seller in 1953. By 1954 Charles had created a
successful combination of blues and gospel influences and signed on with
Atlantic Records. Propelled by Charles's distinctive raspy voice, “I've Got a
Woman” and “Hallelujah I Love You So” became hit records. “What'd I Say”
led the rhythm and blues sales charts in 1959 and was Charles's own first
million-seller.
Charles's rhythmic piano playing and band arranging revived the “funky”
quality of jazz, but he also recorded in many other musical genres. He
entered the pop market with the best-sellers “Georgia on My Mind” (1960)
and “Hit the Road, Jack” (1961). His album Modern Sounds in Country and
Western Music (1962) sold more than a million copies, as did its single “I
Can't Stop Loving You.” Thereafter his music emphasized jazz standards
and renditions of pop and show tunes.
From 1955 Charles toured extensively in the United States and elsewhere
with his own big band and a gospel-style female backup quartet called the
Raeletts. He also appeared on television and worked in films such as
Ballad in Blue (1964) and The Blues Brothers (1980) as a featured act and
sound track composer. He formed his own custom recording labels,
Tangerine in 1962 and Crossover Records in 1973. The recipient of many
national and international awards, he received 13 Grammy Awards,
including a lifetime achievement award in 1987. In 1986 Charles was
inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame and received a Kennedy Center Honor. He published an

autobiography, Brother Ray, Ray Charles' Own Story (1978), written with
David Ritz.
Ray Charles Questionaire
Read the Passage and Answer the following Questions
1. Where was Charles born and how old was he when he went blind and what was the
cause? Albany , Ga, He began to go blind at six , possibly from glaucoma , and had
completely lost his sight by age seven.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. What type of music Charles was credited for developing? Why? Charles built a
remarkable career based on the immediacy of emotion in his performances.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Who did Charles indebted his style after? After emerging as a blues and jazz pianist
indebted to Nat King Coles’s style in the late 1940’s.
______________________________________________________________________
4. What school did Charles attend? He attended the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and
blind.
______________________________________________________________________
5. Which album sold over a million copies and what was the names of some of the songs
on that album? His album Modern sounds in country and western music(1962) sold
more than a million copies as did its single “I can’t stop Loving You”.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. What city did Charles begin his music career and where did he perform at? He began his
musical career at age five on a piano in a neighborhood café.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Name the record labels he started toward the end of his career? He formed his own
custom recording labels, Tangerine in 1962 and crossover Records in 1973.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. Why was Charles known as “The Genius”? Charles was credited with the early
development of soul music, a style based on a melding of gospel, rhythm and blues , and
jazz
music___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_____
9. Name some of the awards Charles earned throughout his career? Roll Hall of fame and
received a Kennedy Center Honor , The recipent of many national and international
awards, he received 13 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award
including a lifetime achievement award in 1987.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
10. When did he publish his autobiography and who was the author? He published an
autobiography , Brother Ray , Ray Charles’ own story (1978) , written David Ritz.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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• NAME: Ray Charles

BEST KNOWN FOR

Ray Charles was a pioneer of soul music. He is ranked as one of the

Charles built a remarkable career based on the immediacy of emotion in

Roll Hall of Fame and received a Kennedy Center Honor. He published an

Read the Passage and Answer the following Questions

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