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."
Doodlin
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Makin' a few calls,
Doodlin' weird things,
Usin' the booth walls.
Got me a big date,
Waitin' for my chick,
Puttin' my face on,
I enjoy procrastinating
'Cause I'm busy while I'm waiting,
Doodlin' away, doodlin away
Sittin' and dinin' (dining)
Dinner beginnin',
Started designin'
Usin' the linen,
Talkin' to my date,
Doodlin' my bit,
Waiter got salty,
Told me to please quit
Told the waiter, "Don't be dizzy,
"Can't you see I'm very busy,
"Doodlin' away, doodlin' away."
"Do you doodle all day?"
Asked the waiter in his way,
"Do you doodle all night?"
Told the waiter he was right,
"In your doodlin' way-"
"That's the way I'm gonna stay,"
"Are you thinkin' things right?"
"Doodlin' sheds a lot of light,"
"Don't know what I can do,"
"Ain't nothing you can do,"
"With old doodlin' you,"
"Doodin's all I want to do,"
That's for true!
Why does every single thing I see
Look exactly like a doodle to me?
If I ever have a doubt
What life is all about
I get my pencil out and then commence to doodlin'
And I find it real relaxing
'Specially when I feel that life is really taxing!
'Cause weird designs
They only show what's going on
In weirder minds
Those when you doodle then your noodle's flying blind
Every little thing that you write
Just conceivably might
Be a thought that you capture
While coppin' a wink
Doodlin' takes you beyond what you see
When you write what you think.
I'd feel so lost without my doodlin',
Doodlin' really helps me ease my mind,
I'd be tempest-tossed
Without my doodlin',
When I'm doodlin' there's one thing I find,
Truly, I really really really really really truly truly wanna figure out
What my doodlin's all about.
Later the waiter
Had me arrested,
Took me to Bellevue,
Where I was tested.
Had me a doctor
Probin' my noodle,
'Fore he was half-done,
Taught him to doodle,
Showed him hidden thoughts that linger
Find an outlet through your finger,
Doodlin' away, doodlin' away.
Doctor was real nice,
Told me to be cool,
Looked at the waiter,
Called him the real fool,
Looked at my baby
Told me he dug her,
Got me to doodlin',
So he could bug her,
When he put his arms around her,
Quite to his surprise he found her,
Doodlin' away, doodlin' away
We just doodle all day!
The lyrics of Ray Charles's "Doodlin'" appears to be a light and playful reflection of creative expression. The song depicts a narrative of a person indulging in doodling while waiting, dining, and even getting arrested. The singer showcases the benefits of doodling in moments of idleness, making good use of what might otherwise seem like wasted time. The lyrics show how doodling provides an escape from mundane surroundings and how it can reveal hidden thoughts and emotions, serving as an outlet through which those thoughts can express themselves. The song is a testament to the power of art in creating positive experiences in daily life.
Line by Line Meaning
Usin' the phone booth,
Making calls and doodling on the walls of the phone booth
Makin' a few calls,
Making calls while doodling
Doodlin' weird things,
Drawing unusual designs with no specific purpose
Usin' the booth walls.
Using the walls of the phone booth as a canvas for doodling
Got me a big date,
Preparing for a significant date
Waitin' for my chick,
Waiting for his girlfriend
Puttin' my face on,
Getting ready for the date
So she could look slick,
To make his girlfriend look good
I enjoy procrastinating
He likes to waste time
'Cause I'm busy while I'm waiting,
He keeps himself occupied while waiting
Doodlin' away, doodlin away
Engrossed in doodling on his drawing pad
Sittin' and dinin' (dining)
Eating out at a restaurant
Dinner beginnin',
The dinner has just started
Started designin'
Began doodling on the table linen
Usin' the linen,
Doodling on table linen
Talkin' to my date,
Having a conversation with his girlfriend
Doodlin' my bit,
Drawing while chatting
Waiter got salty,
The waiter became angry
Told me to please quit
Asked him to stop doodling
Told the waiter, "Don't be dizzy,
Asked the waiter to calm down
"Can't you see I'm very busy,
Explained why he is doodling
Doodlin' away, doodlin' away."
He is too busy doodling to stop
"Do you doodle all day?"
Asks the waiter if he draws all day
Asked the waiter in his way,
Asked the waiter using his own style
"Do you doodle all night?"
Asks the waiter if he doodles at night
Told the waiter he was right,
Confirmed to the waiter that he was correct
"In your doodlin' way-"
Using his way of drawing
"That's the way I'm gonna stay,"
Stated he would continue doodling his way
"Are you thinkin' things right?"
Asks if he's thinking the right way
"Doodlin' sheds a lot of light,"
Explained why he thinks doodling is useful
"Don't know what I can do,"
Admits ignorance about other things he can do
"Ain't nothing you can do,"
Nothing can be done
"With old doodlin' you,"
He is only comfortable with drawing
"Doodin's all I want to do,"
Doodling is the only thing he wishes to do
That's for true!
That's absolutely true!
Why does every single thing I see
Why everything he sees looks like a doodle
Look exactly like a doodle to me?
All objects seem like potential doodle images
If I ever have a doubt
When he is unsure
What life is all about
Meaning of life
I get my pencil out and then commence to doodlin'
He starts to draw to find his answers
And I find it real relaxing
Finds drawing very calming
'Specially when I feel that life is really taxing!
Drawing is a great way of coping with stress
'Cause weird designs
Strange drawings
They only show what's going on
Drawings are indicative of what is happening in his life
In weirder minds
People with strange imaginations
Those when you doodle then your noodle's flying blind
One lacks control over their imagination during doodling
Every little thing that you write
Anything that you draw
Just conceivably might
Possibly may
Be a thought that you capture
Could represent a particular thought process captured in that artwork
While coppin' a wink
While taking a nap or resting for a short duration
Doodlin' takes you beyond what you see
Drawing can take you beyond what you can see with your naked eyes
When you write what you think.
Drawing your thoughts enables you to visualize your ideas better.
I'd feel so lost without my doodlin',
He would feel disoriented and directionless without doodling
Doodlin' really helps me ease my mind,
Doodling helps him relax and reduce mental stress
I'd be tempest-tossed
He would be lost in mental turmoil
Without my doodlin',
Without drawing
When I'm doodlin' there's one thing I find,
He finds one thing he enjoys while drawing
Truly, I really really really really really truly truly wanna figure out
He really wants to know
What my doodlin's all about.
Meaning or purpose of doodling
Later, the waiter
The waiter later on
Had me arrested,
Had him thrown in jail
Took me to Bellevue,
Took him to a mental hospital
Where I was tested.
Where he had to undergo psychiatric evaluations
Had me a doctor
Met with a mental health professional
Probin' my noodle,
Probing his mind
'Fore he was half-done,
Before he even started fully examining him
Taught him to doodle,
He taught the doctor how to doodle
Showed him hidden thoughts that linger
Showed him some repressed emotions or memories
Find an outlet through your finger,
Doodling is a good way of channeling energy
Doodlin' away, doodlin' away.
He continues to doodle even with the doctor present
Doctor was real nice,
The doctor was kind
Told me to be cool,
Tellng him to be calm
Looked at the waiter,
The doctor looks at the waiter
Called him the real fool,
The doctor insults the waiter
Looked at my baby
The doctor looks at his girlfriend
Told me he dug her,
The doctor liked her
Got me to doodlin',
The doctor got him to draw
So he could bug her,
The doctor asked him to draw something to impress her
When he put his arms around her,
When the doctor hugged his girlfriend
Quite to his surprise he found her,
He found the girlfriend doodling too
Doodlin' away, doodlin' away
His girlfriend felt relaxed and was doodling as well
We just doodle all day!
Everybody enjoys doodling.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC , Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HORACE SILVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind