Essay about Ray Charles - 2718 Words

Ray Charles Ray 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 â€Å"God Bless America.† His birth name was Ray Charles Robinson, but he shortened it when he entered show business to avoid confusion with the famous boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. I chose Ray Charles as the topic for my paper after seeing the movie Ray. After viewing this film I realized that there was a lot of interesting information about 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 Years Ray Charles was born in†¦show more content†¦During this time he started recording and achieved his first hit song in 1951. The song was titled â€Å"Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand.† When Charles first began singing many felt as though his sound and piano playing resembled those of Nat King Cole and Charles Brown. Ray was quoted saying, â€Å"When I started to sing like myself - as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while – when I started singing like Ray Charles, it had this spiritual and churchy, this religious or gospel sound. It had this holiness and preachy tone to it. It was very controversial. I got a lot of criticism for it.† - (San Jose Mercury News, 1994) Charles soon became more innovative when he realized that his first recordings were only skillful imitations of his heroes. After joining Atlantic Records, Charles’s sound became more and more original and found breaking. He took many tunes from gospel mu sic and put them to secular lyrics performed in front of a jazz lineup playing RB with exceptionally tight arrangements. He sometimes even added a country music feel to some of his arrangements for example in his version of Hank Snow’s â€Å"I’m Moving On.† The Middle Years â€Å"Do it right or don’t do it at all. That comes from my mom. If there’s something I want to do, I’m one of those people that won’t be satisfied until I get it done. If I’m trying to sing something and I can’t get it, I’m going to keep at it until I get it where I want it.† -Show MoreRelatedEssay about Ray Charles Robinson1095 Words   |  5 PagesRay Charles Robinson Ray Charles Robinson, more commonly known as Ray Charles (to avoid confusion with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson), was born in the southern city of Albany, GA on September 23, 1930. He was a prolific, multi-talented singer, pianist, bandleader, and composer who, when on stage captivated his audience not only by his musical ability, but also because he was a blind, African American man. He was given the nickname â€Å"the Genius† for his capability of combining the musicRead MoreLife and Music of Ray Charles Essay1128 Words   |  5 PagesLife and Music of Ray Charles The history of musicians is a very interesting subject. There are thousands and millions of interesting types of musicians. Ray Charles was a very talented musician. His focus was on Soul Music, which was Jazz combined with Gospel music. Jazz was also a big focus of his music. Ray Charles wasn’t like other musicians. He was a blind musician. Many often wonder how someone can be blind and also be a musician, but Ray Charles was a fine example to show that it was possibleRead MoreThe Impact Of Ray Charles On American Culture1164 Words   |  5 Pages The impact that Ray Charles has had on American culture is nearly indescribable. Although unable to see, he was successful in making his artistic visions come to life by fusing the sounds of blues, gospel, jazz, and RB, making him one of the leading soul artists of the 1950s. The legendary musician is recognized for being a pillar in the industry, credited with making strides in desegregating musical genres. Although he composed many of his early hits, Charles is considered to be an interpreterRead More The Legendary Musician, Ray Charles Robinson Essay532 Words   |  3 PagesThe Legendary Musician, Ray Charles Robinson Ray Charles Robinson was born on September 23, 1930 in Albany Georgia. His father was Bailey Robinson, a railroad repair man, and his mother was Retha. His father never married his mother. His legal wife was Mary Jane, who also helped to raise Charles. By the time he was three, young Charles was learning to play the piano. When he was five his brother, who was three at the time, drowned. A few months later Charles got the disease that wouldRead More ray charles Essay995 Words   |  4 Pages Ray Charles nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the 1930s many black musicians where coming out of the south. One especially who would soon top the charts and hit fame and fortune starting in his young years, Ray Charles. After conquering poverty, blindness and many other things, success was possible. In his young age he had a few losses in his family and near after came down with a disease which was causing him to go blind. He later came over the blindness and was able to learn and compose musicRead MoreRay Charles : The Devil s Advocate And La Bamba1072 Words   |  5 PagesThe biography/drama based on the worldwide entertainer Ray Charles is directed by Taylor Hackford, who is known for his other works such as The Devil’s Advocate and La Bamba. In this 2004 film, Hackford along with sound designer Scott Sanders, sound supervisor Karen Baker Landers and composer Craig Armstrong musically bring to life the life of the famous performer. The introduction credits of the film begin with complete silence, at first I was worried that there was something wrong with my computerRead MoreRay Charles683 Words   |  3 PagesRay Charles Is it justifiable or not for him to take gospel music and turn the song into secular songs? Explain whether it was right or wrong. What motivated Ray Charles to experiment with so many genres of music? Was Ray Charles responsible for Margie Hendrix’s early death? Why/Why not? Use one word to describe Ray Charles and explain why. It was justifiable for Ray Charles to take gospel music and turn the song into secular because a new generation was arising. In a community where differentRead MoreRay Charles2786 Words   |  12 PagesRay Charles The Life and Legacy of a Genius Ray 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 Bless America. His birth name was Ray Charles Robinson, but he shortened it when he entered show business to avoid confusion with the famous boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. I chose Ray Charles as the topic for my paper after seeing the movie Ray. AfterRead MoreRay Charles Addiction827 Words   |  4 PagesRay Charles was suffering from substance abuse disorder. Substance disorder is defined as a complex behavioral disorder characterized by preoccupation with obtaining alcohol or other drugs (AOD) and a narrowing of the behavioral repertoire towards excessive consumption and loss of control over consumption. It is usually also accompanied by the development of tolerance and withdrawal and impairment in social and occupational functioning. Ray Charles continued substance abuse caused fights at ho meRead MoreTrue Grit And Ray From Charles Portis s The Dog Of The South Show Devotion1369 Words   |  6 PagesWhen someone is devoted in life, they can most likely achieve their all time life goals. Mattie Ross from Charles Portis s True Grit and Ray from Charles Portis s The dog of the south show devotion throughout their novels: obsession showing devotion, revenge showing devotion, and bravery leading to devotion. Throughout True Grit Mattie is shown to be obsessive, which is shown through her devotion throughout the novel. That is my father. I stood there looking at him. What a waste! Tom Chaney