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."
Don't Change on Me
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chase away the raindrops
Make it all worthwhile
Make all the pain stop
Just like a river
Keep love flowing
Don't let our world stop
Keep it going
[Chorus]
I love you just the way you are
Honey, don't change on me
Girl, don't you change on me, girl, don't you change on me, no, no
Girl, you're my lucky star
Honey, don't change on me
Don't change on me, don't change on me
I used to wonder
Where would I find
Some kind of happiness
And peace of mind
I was living in darkness
But then you came
Bringing the sunlight
Easing my pain
[Chorus]
If there's a heaven
Then this is my prayer
Lord knows I want to know you
If we should meet there
And then forever
We'll walk together
Nothing but sunshine
No more stormy weather
[Chorus]
The song "Don't Change On Me" by Ray Charles is a beautiful love song that emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself in a relationship. The first verse describes the person who fills the singer's life with light, removes the dark clouds and pain. The river imagery serves as a symbol of the continuity of their love. The chorus repeats the message of the song - that the singer loves the person just the way they are and wants them to remain the same. The second verse reveals the transformation in the singer's life since the other person entered it. The lyrics also describe how the singer finds solace and happiness in the relationship.
The last verse expresses the singer's desire to be with the person even in the afterlife. The lyrics reveal that the singer wants to continue walking in sunshine and prefer to avoid stormy weather, which might symbolize difficulties. Charles has used the sunlight metaphorically as a representation of hope, happiness, and joy in this song. Thus, the lyrics indicate that the love shared between the two individuals is strong enough to withstand any obstacles that come their way, and they wish to be together forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, you're my sunshine
You are the light in my life and bring me happiness
Chase away the raindrops
You help me forget about the bad times
Make it all worthwhile
You make everything in my life have meaning
Make all the pain stop
You ease all of the pain in my life
Just like a river
Our love keeps flowing and never stops
Keep love flowing
We need to keep our love going and growing
Don't let our world stop
We should keep our world of happiness and love going
Keep it going
We need to keep our love and happiness going
[Chorus]
The singer loves his partner just the way she is and doesn't want her to change
I used to wonder
The singer was once unsure about how to find happiness and peace
Where would I find
He didn't know where to look for happiness
Some kind of happiness
He was searching for any kind of happiness
And peace of mind
He wanted to be able to feel relaxed and content
I was living in darkness
The singer felt lost and alone
But then you came
His partner brought light and happiness into his life
Bringing the sunlight
She brought happiness and light into his life
Easing my pain
She made his pain and problems disappear
[Chorus]
The singer loves his partner just the way she is and doesn't want her to change
If there's a heaven
The singer wonders if there is a heaven
Then this is my prayer
If heaven exists, the singer hopes to find his partner there
Lord knows I want to know you
The singer wants to be with his partner forever
If we should meet there
If they happen to meet in heaven
And then forever
They will be together for eternity
We'll walk together
They will spend their time in heaven side by side
Nothing but sunshine
In heaven, they will experience only happiness and love
No more stormy weather
They will not experience any more hardships or pain
[Chorus]
The singer loves his partner just the way she is and doesn't want her to change
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDDIE REEVES, JIMMY HOLIDAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Craig Kreutzer
This was the song my wife had as our first dance at our wedding. Tomorrow is our 20th anniversary. She had the lyrics printed on a framed canvas with our names and date. The best present I have ever received. I am so blessed she said yes.
B Livei
30 anos e me apaixonando por essa música agora 2021😍 Que continue... #raycharlesforever
alice js
I love this song...good memories of fun times... that BASS tho'!!!
gmtgsong
I think it was Carol Kaye, a great woman studio player.
Green Glory
This song is one of the many reasons that Ray Charles was a musical genus.
Sineide Nunes Lima
MUITO LINDAS AS MÚSICAS.
Paulette Robinson
Such a beautiful song!
omar shabazz
He rocks the hell out of this!!! He captures the soul and expression of Black folks that's off the fucking charts!!!
mortygwhiz
This was like the Rosetta stone of Soul Music for me. I herd this song and all of a sudden I got it. I understood all that came before and after. Thanks Brother Ray for your blessing and the joy and entertainment you opened up into my life.
victor robles
ray charles un excelente cantante y compositor q nunca mas va a ver como el q dios lo tenga en su gloria y sea un ejemplo para las nuevas generaciones