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."
Rainy Night In Georgia
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin' to find a warm place to spend the night
A heavy rain a fallin'
Seems I hear your voice callin'
"It's all right"
A rainy night in Georgia
A rainy night in Georgia
Neon signs a flashin'
Taxi cabs and busses passin' through the night
The distant moanin' of a train
Seems to play a sad refrain to the night
A rainy night in Georgia
A rainy night in Georgia
I believe it's rainin' all over the world
How many times I've wondered
It still comes out the same
No matter how you look at it, think of it
You just got to do your own thing
I find me a place in a box car
So I take out my guitar to pass some time
Late at night when it's hard to rest
I hold your picture to my chest
And I'm all right
A rainy night in Georgia
A rainy night in Georgia
I believe it's rainin' all over the world
In Rainy Night in Georgia, Ray Charles sings about a lonely traveler looking for a warm shelter to wait out the rain. The song’s lyrics speak about the way in which rain can make us feel more inward and introspective, tuning us into our own feelings and memories. The lyrics of the song create an eerie and dark mood, adding to the sense of displacement and sadness of the traveler. The song also talks about the heavy rain, the neon signs flashing, taxis, and buses passing through the night, further adding to the melancholic atmosphere of the song. As the song develops, the singer talks about his memories of a lost lover, and how it still pains him to think about.
Despite the sadness and the melancholic mood of the song, there is a sense of comfort for the singer in the midst of the storm. This seems to be communicated in the line "I hold your picture to my chest and I'm all right," which suggests that, despite the harshness of the storm, the memory of the lover brings some measure of comfort and reassurance to the singer.
Rainy Night in Georgia was originally written by Tony Joe White in 1962 before Ray Charles recorded it in 1969. The song became a hit after its release, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was originally written by Tony Joe White, who wrote the song after moving to Marietta, Georgia, where he experienced rainy nights firsthand. Since then, several artists and bands have covered the song, including Randy Crawford, Brook Benton, and Chris Young.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoverin' by my suitcase
Standing next to my suitcase, unsure of where to go
Tryin' to find a warm place to spend the night
Attempting to locate a comfortable place to sleep for the evening
A heavy rain a fallin'
A significant downpour is taking place
Seems I hear your voice callin'
I believe I can hear the sound of your voice
"It's all right"
You are assuring me that everything is okay
A rainy night in Georgia
The current weather in Georgia is rainy
I believe it's rainin' all over the world
It seems as though it might be raining in many parts of the world
Neon signs a flashin'
The bright, artificial light of neon signs is flickering
Taxi cabs and busses passin' through the night
Various vehicles, such as taxis and buses, are moving through the darkness
The distant moanin' of a train
I can hear the haunting noise of a train in the distance
Seems to play a sad refrain to the night
It is as if the sound of the train is adding a melancholy tone to the evening
How many times I've wondered
I have asked myself this question numerous times
It still comes out the same
The answer has not changed
No matter how you look at it, think of it
Regardless of how one considers the situation,
You just got to do your own thing
You must pursue your own interests and desires
I find me a place in a box car
I locate a space to rest in a boxcar
So I take out my guitar to pass some time
I begin to play my guitar in order to occupy myself
Late at night when it's hard to rest
During the late hours when sleep seems unattainable
I hold your picture to my chest
I clutch an image of you to my heart
And I'm all right
I feel comforted and at ease
A rainy night in Georgia
The weather in Georgia is still rainy
I believe it's rainin' all over the world
It continues to seem as though it is raining in many places around the globe
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tony White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bubs D
Hoverin' by my suitcase
Tryin' to find a warm place to spend the night
A heavy rain a fallin'
Seems I hear your voice callin'
"It's all right"
A rainy night in Georgia
A rainy night in Georgia
I believe it's rainin' all over the world
Neon signs a flashin'
Taxi cabs and busses passin' through the night
The distant moanin' of a train
Seems to play a sad refrain to the night
A rainy night in Georgia
A rainy night in Georgia
I believe it's rainin' all over the world
How many times I've wondered
It still comes out the same
No matter how you look at it, think of it
You just got to do your own thing
I find me a place in a box car
So I take out my guitar to pass some time
Late at night when it's hard to rest
I hold your picture to my chest
And I'm all right
A rainy night in Georgia
A rainy night in Georgia
I believe it's rainin' all over the world
anadryantontine
80 views? This is blasphemy!! My favorite Ray song ever.
Jerome S
I think it’s made a bit of progress 😅
Cecil Bennett
A man unafraid to inject humor in his superb music. We have lost a great talent - l am grateful we can still hear his music.
Miles Davis
love that feeling you get halfway into a song that it's a song you know you'll never forget and will be listening to many years down the road
Shadrack Chiloane
But Ray's Version of "Rainy Night in Georgia" is a Masterpiece
ThomEA
@Dave Chappo Brooke had a hit with it, and his version is the accepted classic, the arrangement here is good., I think Ray was looking to follow up on Georgia on my mind with another Georgia song.
Dave Chapman
+ThomEA may be a take on Brooke Bentons version but imo Rays version could not be improved on and the arrangement is sensational. A Masterpiece indeed !!
Dave Chapman
+Shadrack Chiloane A masterpiece indeed, i cannot stop playing it and moving with every change of tone and note, what a voice, what a man, what a legend !
ThomEA
@Shadrack Chiloane Ray's a genius whatever he does, but this is clearly a take-off of Brooke Benton's version.
noslohcinkin
this is such a brilliant performance of a great song! wow!