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."
Heartbreaker
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heartbreaker, girl you sure is gone
Heartbreaker, how you carry on
You a bobby-soxer, mean mistreated too
You a bobby-soxer, mean mistreated too
You're just a little school girl
But you sure know what to do
Pretty baby, in your new red dress
Pretty baby, in your new red dress
When I'm not around you
I can't hardly get my rest
Heart-teaser
You're runnin' all around
Heart-teaser
Girl, you're runnin' all around
And if you don't stop, baby
You'll be sleepin' in the ground
How can I help it, baby
If I'm in love with you
How can I help it, if I'm in love with you
I've been your fool, baby
Tell me what more can I do
Heartbreaker, so you think you're smart
Ah, heartbreaker, you know you think you're smart
Well, heartbreaker, I want to tell you
You broke my heart
You know, you broke my heart
You said we would never part
You know, you broke my heart
You told me we would never part
I'm just mad you broke my heart
You know you broke my heart
The song "Heartbreaker" by Ray Charles is a bluesy ballad featuring Charles' signature smooth and soulful vocals. The lyrics depict a man who is in love with a girl who is mistreating him and breaking his heart. The song describes her as a "bobby soxer mean mistreated too" and a "little school girl" who knows exactly what to do to hurt him. Charles sings about his love for her even though she is causing him pain, and he feels powerless to stop loving her. He confronts her about her actions, calling her a "heart-teaser" and warning her that if she doesn't stop, she will end up "sleeping in the ground."
The song is filled with emotion and is a testament to Charles' ability to capture the pain and longing of love in his music. The repetition of the phrase "heartbreaker" throughout the song emphasizes the emotional turmoil the singer is experiencing. Despite being mistreated and hurt by the girl he loves, he can't help but continue loving her.
"Heartbreaker" was released in 1963 and was included on Ray Charles' album "Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul." The song was written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, who were well-known songwriters in the 60s and 70s. Ragovoy and Berns were responsible for writing several hits for artists such as Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, and Aretha Franklin.
Line by Line Meaning
Heartbreaker, girl you sure is gone
Addressing the person directly, acknowledging that they have gone and broken the singer's heart.
You a bobby soxer mean mistreated too
The addressee has also been mistreated in the past, as a young girl growing up in the bobby soxer era.
You just a little school girl, But you sure know what to do.
Though young and seemingly innocent, the addressee is skilled in the art of breaking hearts.
Pretty baby, in your new red dress
The addressee is visually striking and attention-grabbing in her new red dress.
When I'm not around ya, I can't hardly get my rest.
The artist is constantly thinking of the addressee, and her absence leaves him restless and unable to sleep.
Heart-teaser, You runnin' all around
A play on words, the addressee is a heartbreaker but also teases the singer's heart with her behavior.
And if you don't stop baby, You'll be sleeping in the ground
If the addressee doesn't change her ways, she may face literal consequences such as being left alone or even dying.
How can I help it, If I'm in love with you.
Despite the addressee's hurtful actions, the artist cannot control his feelings of love towards her.
I've been your fool baby, Tell me what more can I do.
The artist has foolishly fallen for the addressee, and is at a loss as to what more he can do to make her stay.
Heartbreaker, you think you're smart
The addressee believes she is wise and clever in the way she breaks men's hearts.
Well, heartbreaker, I want to tell ya', You broke my heart
The singer confronts the addressee, telling her that she has in fact broken his heart through her actions.
You know, you broke my heart
Reiterating the fact that the addressee has caused the artist emotional pain and distress.
You said we would never part
A reminder that the addressee made promises of staying together, which she failed to keep.
You told me, we would never part
The addressee has explicitly stated that they would always be together, a promise which she failed to keep.
You know you broke my heart
A final summary of the singer's pain and frustration, due to the actions of the addressee.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ahmet Ertegun
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Natasha silva
Todo mundo rodando , batendo palmas , fazendo passinho , q d.hora tempo bom , obrigada Ray Charles 🙏 por todas as suas obras 🙏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏💎😎💎
Josebatista142324 Batista
Para quem sabe dancar um samba rock essa nao pode faltar
jacques herve
Très bon morceau ! Vive la magie du piano !
Mark Thoms
My favorite Ray Charles song.
MrRossHartman
"Heartbreaker" originally an Atlantic single in September, 1953. Then reissued on 45 in April, 1960.
Morrigan is My waifu
he’s a heartbreaker, his name? charles
John Austin Murphy
Small point: the sequence of album covers should start with the album from which "Heartbreaker" is taken, not Modern Sounds. That change would avoid confusion.
Ruby Mcnair
Now there was nothing slow about Ray Charles at all and yes he was very much a heartbreaker he could not see but God was his eyes that man know he could play that piano just listen at that piano good in 2020
Ruby Mcnair
I was never a heartbreaker I always got my heart broken when I think about it today I should have been the heartbreaker
Henrique
OH MY GOD, ONLY NOW I'VE UNDERSTOOD THE POKÉMON REFERENCE, SHOOT ME