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."
I'll Be Good to You
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just how you feel, girl
Said I want to know
If what you feel is real, girl
'Cause there's a reason
For the things that I say, what I talk about
But oh, I want to love ya girl
We've been together, for so very long
I'd hate to break up, break up my happy home
(The way we stand and the way we lie)
The way we lie
(The way we love and the way we cry)
Girl, we cry
(Of all these things, there comes a time)
There's a time
(Makes me feel that it's worth a try)
Makes me feel
(I'll be good to you)
(Good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya, good to ya)
(I'll be good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya)
Girl you said, we've been together
So very long, very long
I would hate to break up, break up my happy home
Let me take off your shoes
Take a stand, now, and let me know how
Oooh always, baby always, and all your know-how, baby
(The way we stand and the way we lie)
Um-hum the way we lie
(The way we love and the way we cry)
The wa-ay-ay-ay, we cry
(Of all these things, there comes a time)
Oooo
(Makes me feel that it's worth a try)
Oooo
(I'll be good to you, good to ya, good to ya)
I'll be good
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya, good to ya)
(I'll be good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya)
(Good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
{I'll be good}
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya, good to ya)
{So good, to you}
(I'll be good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
{I'll be good}
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya)
{So good, to you}
Girl, I'll be good to you, baby
why'know I'll be good to you
Take you shopping, you know what I mean baby, anything you want
I'll be good to you
I'll give it up, with my credit cards,
Like Visa, MasterCharge, American Express,
Turn my pants upside down
Any day of the week
Ow-oh, you, you, you
Come here, give me love
Talk to me
(Good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
Girl I'll be good to you
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya, good to ya)
(I'll be good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
I'll be good to you
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya)
I'll be good to you, I said I will, I ain't lying, baby
Oooo-hoo
(Good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
{I'll be good}
I'll be good to you
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya, good to ya)
{So good, to you}
Girl, I'll be good to you
(I'll be good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
I'll be good to you
{I'll be good}
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya)
I'll be good to you, I said I will, I ain't lying, baby
{So good, to you}
Oooo-ooo
(Good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
{I'll be good}
Good to you, yeah!
(I'll be good to ya, I'll be good to ya, good to ya)
{So good, to you}
Yeah! Yeah! I'll be
(I'll be good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
{I'll be good}
Whoo-hoo, well I'll be
I'll be good to you, I said I will, I ain't lying, baby
{So good, to you}
I'll be good to you
In "I'll Be Good to You," Ray Charles expresses his desire to know if his partner's feelings for him are genuine. He wants to love her in a special way and be good to her. The lyrics suggest that they have been together for a long time, and he doesn't want to break up their happy home. He offers to take off her shoes, take a stand, and do anything she wants. He promises to be good to her, to take her shopping, and give her everything she desires, even getting her anything she wants with his credit cards.
The lyrics of this song emphasize loving and caring for someone deeply. It is about the importance of the relationship and the desire to do whatever it takes to make the other person happy. Ray Charles's passionate voice conveys his desire to love and cherish his partner, making it a very romantic and emotional song.
This song has been covered by several other artists, including The Brothers Johnson, whose version features Michael Jackson on backing vocals. It was released as a single in 1976 and became a top 40 hit in the US. In 1990, The Brothers Johnson version appeared on the soundtrack of the film "Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight."
Line by Line Meaning
I want to know, baby
The singer expresses his desire to know how the girl feels.
Just how you feel, girl
The singer specifically asks the girl how she feels.
Said I want to know
The singer emphasizes his desire to know how the girl feels.
If what you feel is real, girl
The singer wonders whether the girl's feelings are genuine.
'Cause there's a reason
The singer explains that there is a reason behind what he says and does.
For the things that I say, what I talk about
The singer clarifies that there is a basis for his actions and words.
But oh, I want to love ya girl
Despite the reasons for what he says and does, the singer still wants to love the girl.
In a special way, come 'ere woman
The singer expresses his desire to love the girl in a unique way and beckons her closer.
We've been together, for so very long
The singer acknowledges that he and the girl have been together for a long time.
I'd hate to break up, break up my happy home
The singer expresses his reluctance to break up with the girl and lose their happy relationship.
(The way we stand and the way we lie)
The singer speaks of how they physically lie and stand together.
The way we lie
The singer repeats that the way they lie together is significant to him.
(The way we love and the way we cry)
The singer references the way they express their emotions with each other.
Girl, we cry
The singer affirms that they do cry together sometimes.
(Of all these things, there comes a time)
The singer acknowledges that despite everything, time still brings change.
Makes me feel that it's worth a try
The singer feels that their relationship is worth continuing to try even in the face of change.
(I'll be good to you)
The singer promises to be good to the girl.
(Good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
The singer repeats his promise to be good to the girl.
(Girl you said, we've been together)
The singer references the fact that the girl mentioned how long they've been together.
So very long, very long
The singer again highlights that they have been together for a long time.
I would hate to break up, break up my happy home
The singer repeats his reluctance to end their relationship and ruin their happy home.
Let me take off your shoes
The singer offers to take off the girl's shoes.
Take a stand, now, and let me know how
The singer asks the girl to express her feelings more assertively.
Oooh always, baby always, and all your know-how, baby
The singer assures the girl that she always knows how he feels and can rely on him.
(Um-hum the way we lie)
The singer once again mentions the way they lie as a significant aspect of their relationship.
The wa-ay-ay-ay, we cry
The singer repeats that they do cry together sometimes.
(Oooo)
The singer interjects an exclamation here.
(Makes me feel that it's worth a try)
The singer repeats his feeling that their relationship is worth continuing to try.
(I'll be good to you, good to ya, good to ya)
The singer repeats his promise to be good to the girl.
(So good, to you)
The singer emphasizes how good he will be to the girl.
(Good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
The singer repeats his promise to be good to the girl.
I'll be good to you
The singer affirms that he will be good to the girl.
I said I will, I ain't lying, baby
The singer makes it clear that his promise is genuine.
(Oooo-hoo)
The singer extends an exclamation here.
(So good, to you)
The singer emphasizes again how good he will be to the girl.
(Whoo-hoo, well I'll be)
The singer interjects an exclamation here.
Good to you, yeah!
The singer declares that he will be good to the girl.
Yeah! Yeah! I'll be
The singer repeats his declaration to be good to the girl.
(I'll be good to ya, good to ya, good to ya)
The singer repeats his promise to be good to the girl.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARK SPIRO, STEPHEN KIPNER, STEPHEN ALAN KIPNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind