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."
My Bonnie -
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My bonnie lies over the sea,
My bonnie lies over the ocean, well, yeah
Why don't you bring
(Bring her back)
Whoa, bring her
(Bring her back)
Whoa, bring her
Bring her
(Bring her back)
You oughta bring back
Bring my bonnie back to me.
(My bonnie back to me)
I said bring back,
(Bring back)
bring her back, right now
(Bring back)
Come on, and bring back
Bring my Bonnie back to me
(Whoa) whoa (whoa) whoa (whoa) Whoa!
Bring
(Bring back)
Bring her back please, now
(Bring back)
Well, bring back
Bring my Bonnie back to me
(My bonnie back to me)
Last night as I lay on my pillow,
Last night as I lay on my bed,
Last night as I lay on my pillow, well, let me tell you now
You know I dreamed
(Yes I did)
Well I dreamed
(Yes I did)
Whoa I dreamed now
(Yes I did)
Whoa-oh I dreamed
(Yes I did)
You know I dreamed that
Dreamed my little Bonnie was dead.
(My little Bonnie was dead)
I said bring
(Bring back)
Oh-oh, sing it children
(Bring back)
Well, bring back
Bring my Bonnie back to me
(Whoa) whoa (whoa) whoa (whoa) Whoa!
(Bring back)
Whoa-oh, bring it back
(Bring back)
Please, bring her back right now
Bring back
Bring my Bonnie back to me
(My bonnie back to me)
The song "My Bonnie" by Ray Charles is a simple but emotional plea for the return of a lost lover. The lyrics express the heartache of separation and the longing to be reunited with the one you love. The repeated refrain of "bring her back" is a desperate appeal to fate or destiny to bring the singer's "bonnie" back to him.
The song's opening lines set a wistful tone, as the singer imagines his lost lover lying far away over the ocean. The repetition of "well, yeah" after the second line creates a sense of hesitation, as if the singer is unsure whether or not his plea will be answered. But he continues to beg, with increasing urgency, until the end of the song. The dream sequence in the second verse adds a haunting quality to the song, as the singer remembers dreaming that his beloved had died.
Line by Line Meaning
My bonnie lies over the ocean,
The person I love is far away from me somewhere beyond the ocean.
My bonnie lies over the sea,
The person I love is beyond the sea where I cannot reach.
My bonnie lies over the ocean, well, yeah
The person I love is across the ocean so far away that I cannot see.
Why don't you bring
I am wondering why the person who took my love away cannot bring them back.
(Bring her back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
Whoa, bring her
I am strongly requesting that my love be brought to me.
(Bring her back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
Whoa, bring her
I am strongly requesting that my love be brought to me.
(Bring her back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
Bring her
I want the person I love to be brought back to me.
(Bring her back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
You oughta bring back
It is your duty to return my love to me.
Bring my bonnie back to me.
I really want the person I love to be brought back to me so that we can be together.
(My bonnie back to me)
I want my love to be brought back to me so that we can be together again.
I said bring back,
I am repeating my request to bring my love back to me.
(Bring back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
bring her back, right now
I want my love to be returned to me immediately.
(Bring back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
Come on, and bring back
I am urging the person who took my love away to bring them back to me.
Bring my Bonnie back to me
I want the person I love to be brought back to me so that we can be together again.
(Whoa) whoa (whoa) whoa (whoa) Whoa!
I am using these sounds to express my intense emotions and strong desire to have my love back.
Bring
I want my love to be brought back to me.
(Bring back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
Bring her back please, now
I am kindly requesting that the person who took my love away to bring them back to me immediately.
(Bring back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
Well, bring back
I am urging the person who took my love away to bring them back to me.
Bring my Bonnie back to me
I want the person I love to be brought back to me so that we can be together again.
(My bonnie back to me)
I want my love to be brought back to me so that we can be together again.
Last night as I lay on my pillow,
Recently, while I was lying on my pillow, I experienced something.
Last night as I lay on my bed,
Recently, while I was lying on my bed, I experienced something.
Last night as I lay on my pillow, well, let me tell you now
I am adding more emphasis to the events that took place while I was lying on my pillow.
You know I dreamed
I had a dream while I was sleeping.
(Yes I did)
I am confirming that I really had a dream.
Well I dreamed
I had a dream.
(Yes I did)
I am confirming that I really had a dream.
Whoa I dreamed now
I had a very vivid dream.
(Yes I did)
I am confirming that I really had a dream.
Whoa-oh I dreamed
I had a very interesting and memorable dream.
(Yes I did)
I am confirming that I really had a dream.
You know I dreamed that
I am about to describe the dream that I had.
Dreamed my little Bonnie was dead.
In my dream, the person I love was no longer alive.
Oh-oh, sing it children
I am asking for others to join me in singing this song.
Whoa-oh, bring it back
I am urging the person who took my love away to bring them back to me.
(Bring back)
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
Please, bring her back right now
I am kindly requesting the person who took my love away to bring them back to me immediately.
Bring back
I want my love to be returned to me as they were taken away.
Bring my Bonnie back to me
I want the person I love to be brought back to me so that we can be together again.
(My bonnie back to me)
I want my love to be brought back to me so that we can be together again.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RAY CHARLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
OmegaT
Yes David Newman is my father's father. Definitely an underrated GREAT! I am proud to have his blood pumping through my veins.
Queen Ladybug
OmegaT I bet you have some interesting stories to tell 🤔 😉
Myron Cohen
met him once at Pearls in SF..He also was a great flute player!!
Paul Grandclement-Chaffy
Dude, you're granfather is a true genius , the sax here is just amazing ! You should be proud !
bungalowprobe22
This is a rare Ray gem we were all just treated to there,notice how the master can recusitate a tired little tune like "My bonnie" and transform it into a soul gospel tour de force.He truly was a Ray of Light...
Daniel Krastoff
Absolutely love the way you put it. Brilliant
reythmband
Yes! Ray could transform old songs like Bonnie, or say Swanee River, into the most soulful music you had ever heard. What a soulful, innovative musician he was with whatever he chose to play!
manu4el
Cuando niño solia escuchar en la radio estas canciones, ahora me traen lindos recuerdos
Guy Sharwood
It's also worth noting how willing Ray was to share the stage with other amazing talents, like the backup singers and Mr. Newman.
Kjell Johansson
Thanks for a great clip! Ray Charles is really fantastic!