Ray Charles - Did You Know?
August 30, 2018Music facts, music trivia, interesting stories and much more. Introducing the "Did You Know" page about American musician, composer, singer and songwriter, Ray Charles.
Enjoy!
Ray Charles (real name: Ray Charles Robinson) was an American musician, composer, singer and songwriter. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred to be called "Brother Ray". He was also referred to as "The Genius" and was blind since he was 7 years old.
Ray Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s when he combined gospel, blues and rhythm and blues styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic Records, and also contributed to the integration of country music, pop music and rhythm and blues during the 1960s.
One of Ray Charles' most famous songs "Hit The Road Jack" was written by Percy Mayfield, a good friend of Charles who was an R&B singer and was badly disfigured in a car accident soon after he started performing.
As a result of this accident, Mayfield had to cut back his touring and made his mark as a prolific songwriter, with many of Mayfield's compositions performed by Ray Charles.
The continuing popularity of this song is evident by the many professional and semi-professional hockey teams playing the first few lines whenever a player is sent to the penalty box.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked Charles at the No.10 spot on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2002, and No.2 on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" in 2008.
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