Singer, pianist and composer Ray Charles is one of the most legendary musicians of the 20th century. His unique style drew on a wide variety of influences that can be traced back to the music he heard as a kid growing up in the rural South: the blues music played by the men in his town, the gospel music he heard at church, country music on Saturday-night broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry, and the big-band music of Ellington and Basie that he heard late at night on the radio.
Throughout the '40s and early '50s, Charles began developing his unique genre-blending style in clubs throughout the Northwest. Though he had originally modeled his style after Nat “King" Cole, Charles eventually found his own voice. His early successes included songs such as his first R&B charting tune, “Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand"; his debut single with Atlantic, “Roll With Me Baby"; and “It Should Have Been Me," which made it to #7 on the R&B charts. In the late '50s and early '60s, Charles began his rise to fame with chart-topping crossover hits such as “What'd I Say," “Georgia on My Mind," “Let The Good Times Roll" and “Hit The Road, Jack."
Charles died on June 10, 2004, at the age of 73. At the time, he was working on a duets album called Genius Loves Company that featured Charles' collaborations with Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones and Van Morrison. The album was released in August 2004, won countless awards, and hit #2 on the Billboard charts.
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