As a rock and roll, rhythm & blues, soul, blues, jazz, country and pop musician he helped to shape the sound of rhythm & blues.
He brought a soulful sound to everything from country music ("I Can't Stop Loving You") to rock and roll ("Mess Around"), to pop standards to a now-iconic rendition of "America the Beautiful." Frank Sinatra called him "the only genius in the business."
Ray Charles was born in Albany, Georgia on September 23, 1930. He was the son of Aretha Williams, a share cropper, and Bailey Robinson, a railroad repair man, mechanic and handyman. The two were never married. The family moved to Greenville, Florida, when Ray was an infant. Bailey had three more families, leaving Aretha to raise the family on her own.
Ray Charles was not born blind. He started to lose his sight somewhere at the age of five. He was rendered totally blind by the age of seven. Charles never knew exactly why he lost his sight, though there are sources that suggest his blindness was due to glaucoma, and some other sources suggest that Ray began to lose his sight from an infection caused by soapy water to his eyes which was left untreated. He attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida from 1937-1945 where he developed his musical gift that he is known and remembered for today. His father died when he was ten, followed by his mother five years later.
In school, he was taught only classical music, but he wanted to play what he heard on the radio, jazz and blues. After his mother died, Charles did not return to school. He lived in Jacksonville with a couple who were friends of his mother. For over a year, he played the piano for bands at the Ritz Theatre in LaVilla, earning $4 a night. Charles moved to Orlando, then Tampa, where he played "with a hillbilly band called The Florida Playboys." This is where Charles began his reputation of always wearing sunglasses that were made by designer Billy Stickles.
Charles had always played for other people, but he wanted a band that was his own. He decided to leave Florida for a large city, but Chicago and New York City were too big. He moved to Seattle in 1947 and soon started recording, first for the label Swing Time Records, achieving his first hit with the 1949 "Confession Blues". The song soared to #2 on the R&B charts. He followed his first recording with his only other hit with Swingtime, "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" in 1951. It hit #5 on the R&B charts. He then signed with Ahmet Ertegün at Atlantic Records a year later. When he entered show business, his name was shortened to Ray Charles to avoid confusion with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.
Breakthrough period with Atlantic Records
Almost immediately after signing with Atlantic, Charles scored his first hit singles with the label with "It Should Have Been Me" and the Ertegün-composed "Mess Around", both making the charts in 1953. But it was Charles' "I Got A Woman" (composed with band mate Renald Richard) that brought the musician to national prominence.
The song reached the top of Billboard's R&B singles chart in 1955 and from there until 1959, Charles would have a series of R&B chart-toppers including "This Little Girl of Mine", "Lonely Avenue", "Mary Ann", "Drown in My Own Tears" and "The Night Time (Is the Right Time)", which were compiled on his Atlantic releases Hallelujah, I Love Her So, Yes Indeed!, and The Genius Sings the Blues. Charles was often cited for using his voice like a saxophone, most notably by the prominent critic Victor Bollo. During this time of transition, he recruited a young girl group from Philadelphia named The Cookies as his background singing group, recording with them in New York and changing their name to the Raelettes in the process.
Crossover success
In 1959, Charles crossed over to top 40 radio with the release of his impromptu blues number, "What'd I Say", which was initially conceived while Charles was in concert. The song would reach number 1 on the R&B list and would become Charles' first top ten single on the pop charts, peaking at number 6. Charles would also record The Genius of Ray Charles, before leaving Atlantic for a more lucrative deal with ABC Records in 1959.
Hit songs such as "Georgia On My Mind" (US #1), "Hit the Road Jack" (US #1) and "Unchain My Heart" (US #9) helped him transition to pop success and his landmark 1962 album, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and its sequel Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2, helped to bring country into the mainstream of music. He also had major pop hits in 1963 with "Busted" (US #4) and "Take These Chains From My Heart" (US #8), and also scoring a Top 20 hit four years later, in 1967, with "Here We Go Again" (US #15) (which would later be duetted with Norah Jones in 2004).
Later years
In 1965, Charles was arrested for possession of heroin, a drug to which he had been addicted for nearly 20 years. It was his third arrest for the offence, but he avoided jail time after kicking the habit in a clinic in Los Angeles. He spent a year on parole in 1966, when his single "Crying Time" reached #6 on the charts.
During the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Charles' releases were hit-or-miss, with some big hits and critically acclaimed work. His version of "Georgia On My Mind" was proclaimed the state song of Georgia on April 24, 1979, with Charles performing it on the floor of the state legislature. He also had success with his unique version of "America the Beautiful."
In November 1977 Charles appeared as the host of NBC's Saturday Night Live. In the 1980s a number of other events increased Charles' recognition among young audiences. He made a cameo appearance in the popular 1980 film The Blues Brothers. In 1985, "The Right Time" was featured in the episode "Happy Anniversary" of The Cosby Show on NBC. The next year in 1986, he sang America The Beautiful at Wrestlemania 2. In a Pepsi Cola commercial of the early 1990s, Charles popularized the catchphrase "You Got the Right One, Baby!" plus he helped in the song "We Are the World" a touching song for USA for Africa.
Despite his support of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s and his support for the American Civil Rights Movement, Charles courted controversy when he toured South Africa in 1981, during an international boycott of the country because of its apartheid policy.
Charles recorded a cover version of the Japanese band Southern All Stars' song "Itoshi no Ellie" as "Ellie My Love" for a Suntory TV advertisement, reaching #3 on Japan's Oricon chart. Eventually, it sold more than 400,000 copies, and became that year's best-selling single performed by a Western artist for the Japanese music market.
Besides winning 17 Grammy Awards in his career (include five posthumous ones), Charles was also honored in many other ways. In 1979, he was one of the first honorees of the Georgia State Music Hall of Fame being recognized for being a musician born in the state. Ray's version of "Georgia On My Mind" was made into the official state song for Georgia. In 1981, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was one of the first inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural ceremony in 1986. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986. In 1987, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1991, he was inducted to the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. In 1998 he was awarded the Polar Music Prize together with Ravi Shankar in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2004 he was inducted to the Jazz Hall of Fame, and inducted to the National Black Sports & Entertainment Hall of Fame. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
The Grammy Awards of 2005 were dedicated to Charles.
On December 7, 2007, Ray Charles Plaza was opened in Albany, Georgia, with a revolving, lighted bronze sculpture of Charles seated at a piano.
On December 26, 2007, Ray Charles was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Ray Charles Post Office Building
In 2005, the U.S. postal facility located at 4960 W. Washington Blvd., in Los Angeles, California, was designated the Ray Charles Post Office Building.
On August 24, 2005, the United States Congress honored Charles by dedicating and renaming the former West Adams Station post office in Los Angeles the "Ray Charles Station".
Charles has also appeared at two Presidential inaugurations in his lifetime. In 1985, he performed for Ronald Reagan's second inauguration, and in 1993 performed for Bill Clinton's first inauguration.
In the late '80s and early '90s, Charles made appearances on The Super Dave Osbourne Show, where he performed and appeared in a few vignettes where he was somehow driving a car, often as Super Dave's chauffeur. At the height of his newfound fame in the early nineties, Charles did guest vocals for quite a few projects. He also appeared (with Chaka Khan) on long time friend Quincy Jones' hit "I'll Be Good to You" in 1990, from Jones' album Back on the Block.
Following Jim Henson's death in 1990, Ray Charles appeared in the one-hour CBS tribute, The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. He gave a short speech about the deceased, stating that Henson "took a simple song and a piece of felt and turned it into a moment of great power". Charles was referring to the song "It's Not Easy Being Green", which Charles later performed with the rest of the Muppet cast in a tribute to Henson's legacy.
During the sixth season of Designing Women, Ray Charles vocally performed "Georgia On My Mind", rather than the song being rendered by other musicians without lyrics as in the previous five seasons
During his life he received eight honorary doctorates, the last from Dillard University in New Orleans in 2003. Later that same year, he performed his 10,000th career concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
Charles finalized "Genius Loves Company" a duets album in 2004, which posthumously became the best selling album of his career. Norah Jones, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, Bonnie Raitt, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis and James Taylor are just a few of the notable artists involved with the project.
Charles was awarded the prestigious "President's Merit Award" from the Grammy(r) organization and was named a City of Los Angeles "Cultural Treasure" by LA Mayor James Hahn during "African American Heritage Month" in a ceremony that he attended. He also received the NAACP Image Awards' "Hall of Fame Award."
Charles died in July 2004 in California. Three months later, his biopic "Ray" opened in theaters. The performance of Jamie Foxx as Ray gave him an Oscar for best lead performance in a feature film.
Recently, a series of slot machines were designed in Charles' name for the visually handicapped and the legendary performer was also named a "living legend" by the Library of Congress.
Charles once told an interviewer from USA Today, "Music to me is just like breathing. I have to have it. It's part of me."
Compared To What
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
c-Hangin' on, with push and shove
Possession is the motivation
That is hangin' up the God-damn nation
Looks like we always end up in a rut (everybody now!)
Tryin' to make it real, compared to what? C'mon baby!
Slaughterhouse is killin' hogs
Poor dumb rednecks rollin' logs
Tired old lady kissin' dogs
Hate the human, love that stinking mutt (I can't stand it!)
Try to make it real, compared to what? C'mon baby now!
The President, he's got his war
Folks don't know just what it's for
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
We're chicken-feathers, all without one nut. God damn it!
Tryin' to make it real, compared to what? (Sock it to me)
Church on Sunday, sleep and nod
Tryin' to duck the wrath of God
Preacher's fillin' us with fright
They all tryin' to teach us what they think is right
They really got to be some kind of nut (I can't use it!)
Tryin' to make it real, compared to what?
The lyrics of Ray Charles's song "Compared To What" reflect a sense of disillusionment and frustration with various aspects of society. The opening lines, "I love the lie and lie the love, hangin' on with push and shove," suggest a deep understanding of the duplicity and manipulation that exist in relationships and human interactions.
The lyrics go on to criticize the materialistic mindset that drives society, with the line "Possession is the motivation that is hangin' up the God-damn nation." This points to how the pursuit of material wealth and possessions has become a central focus, leading to a sense of stagnation and societal rut.
The song also touches on themes of violence and disregard for life. The lines "Slaughterhouse is killin' hogs, twisted children killin' frogs" highlight the cruelty and lack of empathy that can exist in society. The mention of "tired old lady kissin' dogs" suggests a society where people have misplaced affections and priorities.
The lyrics then address political issues, criticizing the president and his war without clear justification. The mention of "chicken-feathers, all without one nut" suggests a sense of cowardice and incompetence within the leadership. Finally, the lyrics criticize the organized religion, with the line "Church on Sunday, sleep and nod, tryin' to duck the wrath of God." This reflects a skepticism toward religious institutions and their teachings.
Line by Line Meaning
I love the lie and lie the love
I enjoy the deception and deceive through affection
Hangin' on, with push and shove
Holding on, using force and aggression
Possession is the motivation
Desire for ownership drives us
That is hangin' up the God-damn nation
It is causing problems for the entire country
Looks like we always end up in a rut (everybody now!)
It seems like we constantly fall into a monotonous routine
Tryin' to make it real, compared to what? C'mon baby!
Attempting to find authenticity, but how does it measure up?
Slaughterhouse is killin' hogs
Butcheries are slaughtering pigs
Twisted children killin' frogs
Disturbed kids are murdering frogs
Poor dumb rednecks rollin' logs
Impoverished and unintelligent country folks moving tree trunks
Tired old lady kissin' dogs
Weary elderly woman smooching canines
Hate the human, love that stinking mutt (I can't stand it!)
Feelings of animosity towards humans but adoration for foul-smelling mutts
Try to make it real, compared to what? C'mon baby now!
Strive to make it genuine, but in relation to what? Come on, baby!
The President, he's got his war
The President has initiated a conflict
Folks don't know just what it's for
People are ignorant of its purpose
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason
No one provides us with logical explanation
Have one doubt, they call it treason
If we question, they label it as treason
We're chicken-feathers, all without one nut. God damn it!
We're cowardly and lacking courage. Damn it!
Tryin' to make it real, compared to what? (Sock it to me)
Attempting to make it authentic, but compared to what? (Give it to me)
Church on Sunday, sleep and nod
Attending church on Sundays, half-awake and nodding off
Tryin' to duck the wrath of God
Trying to avoid God's anger
Preacher's fillin' us with fright
The preacher is instilling fear in us
They all tryin' to teach us what they think is right
They're all attempting to instruct us in their subjective definition of righteousness
They really got to be some kind of nut (I can't use it!)
They must truly be crazy (I can't accept it!)
Tryin' to make it real, compared to what?
Striving to make it genuine, but in relation to what?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Gene McDaniels
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thomas.silvano
Excellent version, sounds great
@realtimemusiccom1
Ray Charles-the best voice ever-unforgotten R.I.P
@kayvanfareghi3845
Great music and performance with important message, which makes it even greater. ❤❤❤
@jackarama
They did that thang! Great rendition.
@conradsunkiojack7428
Exhilaratingly sweet potion of blues, rock, jazz, rhythm, and soul. What a cooking . Not to talk about backing of the Hammond B3 . Exquisite electric guitar lead, rhythm and excellent soloing . Then comes the best part, the power of Ray combined with the razor sharp cut of the inimitable young Leela James . Confession : l shiver whenever l hear it . Thank Lord .
@t-boneboy6460
I agree with cornbread the dog..........two hot voices on an upbeat blues/jazz tune cover.................no one will ever be like Ray, we miss his soul and funk and emotion SO much, yes? YES!
@billyjune
one of the tighter grooves I have heard from Ray, and as usual Ray can do what ever he wanted to sing and make it own.
@lovetolearn2000
damn they killing this song wow amazing
@markkubiak8296
Damn that's good! Reallll good! Ray and Leela!!
@robostudio4305
Thankyou thankyou thankyou