Ray Charles (Ray Charles Robinson, Albany, Georgia, September 23, 1930 - B… Read Full Bio ↴Ray Charles (Ray Charles Robinson, Albany, Georgia, September 23, 1930 - Beverly Hills, California, June 10, 2004), was an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, and band leader.

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."

Greenbacks
Ray Charles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

As I was walking down the street last night
A pretty little girl came into sight
I bowed and smiled and asked her name
She said, "Hold it bud, I don't play that game"
I reached in my pocket, and to her big surprise
There was Lincoln staring her dead in the eyes

On a greenback, greenback dollar bill

Just a little piece of paper, coated with chlorophyll

She looked at me with that familiar desire
Her eyes lit up like they were on fire
She said, "My name's Flo, and you're on the right track
But look here, daddy, I wear furs on my back
So if you want to have fun in this man's land
Let Lincoln and Jackson start shaking hands"

On a greenback, greenback dollar bill
Just a little piece of paper, coated with chlorophyll

I didn't know what I was getting into
But I popped Lincoln and Jackson, too
I didn't mind seeing them fade out of sight
I just knew I'd have some fun last night
Whenever you in town and looking for a thrill
If Lincoln can't get it, Jackson sure will

On a greenback, greenback dollar bill
Just a little piece of paper, coated with chlorophyll

We went to a nightspot where the lights were low
Dined and danced, and I was ready to go
I got out of my seat, and when Flo arose
She said, "Hold on daddy, while I powder my nose"
I sat back down with a smiling face
While she went down to the powder place

With my greenback, greenback dollar bill
Just a little piece of paper, coated with chlorophyll

The music stopped and the lights came on
I looked around and saw I was all alone
I didn't know how long Flo had been gone
But a nose powder sure didn't take that long
I left the place with tears in my eyes
As I waved Lincoln and Jackson a last goodbye

On a greenback, greenback dollar bill
Just a little piece of paper, coated with chlorophyll

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ray Charles's song, Greenbacks, describe a young man's encounter with a woman named Flo, who is more interested in money than love. As the song begins, the singer meets Flo on the street and attempts to flirt with her, but she rebuffs him, stating that she only dates wealthy men. The singer pulls out a wad of cash, revealing a picture of Abraham Lincoln on a greenback dollar bill, which she finds impressive.

Thus, the song delves into how money affects the way people treat each other. The "greenback dollar bill" represents the power that money brings, and how it can manipulate people's behavior. The singer, in this case, is willing to do whatever it takes to impress Flo, even if it means sacrificing his own values.

The lyrics also depict how Flo uses her sexuality to gain control over her suitors. She tells the singer that she wears fur coats and only dates wealthy men. Later in the song, after they have gone out for the night, Flo takes a break to "powder her nose," leaving the singer alone at the nightclub. When he realizes that she has left him, the singer is desolate and waves goodbye to the Lincoln and Jackson on his greenback dollar bill, knowing that they are the only companions he has left.

Line by Line Meaning

As I was walking down the street last night
While I was walking on the street last night

A pretty little girl came into sight
I saw a beautiful girl while walking

I bowed and smiled and asked her name
I greeted her and asked for her name with a smile

She said, 'Hold it bud, I don't play that game'
She refused to entertain me and asked me to stop trying

I reached in my pocket, and to her big surprise There was Lincoln staring her dead in the eyes
To her surprise, I pulled out a 5-dollar bill with Lincoln's photo on it

On a greenback, greenback dollar bill Just a little piece of paper, coated with chlorophyll
I mentioned the 5-dollar bill as it was made of paper, similar to the greenback dollar bill

She looked at me with that familiar desire Her eyes lit up like they were on fire
She showed interest in me, and her eyes had a spark of attraction

She said, 'My name's Flo, and you're on the right track But look here, daddy, I wear furs on my back So if you want to have fun in this man's land Let Lincoln and Jackson start shaking hands'
She introduced herself as Flo and told me that if I wanted to have a good time, I would have to give her more money, in the form of a 10-dollar bill with Jackson's photo on it

I didn't know what I was getting into But I popped Lincoln and Jackson, too
I didn't realize what I was getting into, but I gave her both the 5-dollar and 10-dollar bills

I didn't mind seeing them fade out of sight I just knew I'd have some fun last night
I didn't mind giving her the money as I knew I would have a good time

Whenever you in town and looking for a thrill If Lincoln can't get it, Jackson sure will
She told me that if I ever wanted to have fun in town, I would need to give her more money

We went to a nightspot where the lights were low Dined and danced, and I was ready to go
We went to a dimly lit place with music, ate and danced, and I was ready to call it a night

I got out of my seat, and when Flo arose She said, 'Hold on daddy, while I powder my nose'
As I got up, Flo asked me to wait while she went to the restroom

I sat back down with a smiling face While she went down to the powder place
I waited for her with a happy expression as she went to do her make-up

The music stopped and the lights came on I looked around and saw I was all alone
When the music stopped, and the lights came on, I realized I was the only one left in the place

I didn't know how long Flo had been gone But a nose powder sure didn't take that long
I didn't know how long Flo had been gone, but I knew that she couldn't be taking that much time to the restroom

I left the place with tears in my eyes As I waved Lincoln and Jackson a last goodbye
I left with a heavy heart, knowing that I had been cheated out of my money, and waved my goodbye to the 5 and 10-dollar bills

On a greenback, greenback dollar bill Just a little piece of paper, coated with chlorophyll
I repeated the line about the dollar bill as it was a piece of paper that had no real value beyond its printed denominations

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RENALD J RICHARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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