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."
Surrender To Love
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fighting all our fears
To many wounded hearts keep filling up the fidges
And nearly disappear
But I still can't believe it
You dream of the day
We can freely give our love away, away
It's a new day, what if we all could say
Surrender to love
Surrender to love
Till it wraps it's arms around you forever
Oh yeah yeah
Surrender, Surrender to love
It will only change your world for the better
Surrender to love
I wanna feel like I got
Heaven all around me
Angels in the sky
I want to tell my heart
It finally want it's freedom
And what a sweet surprise
I know there is a blessing
In each forget road
In every lesson learned
And in every, every, every love
Don't be afraid to fall
You never lose it all
Come and see
Everyone will win if we:
Surrender to love
Surrender to love
Till it wraps it's arms around you forever
Forever and ever
Come on darling
Surrender Surrender to love
I'm in love
It will only change your world for the better
Surrender to love
Trust in me to follow
Just follow
Trust in what you'll be tomorrow
Feel the change coming on like a sunrise
And you'll be dreaming and you can be it
So just close your eyes
Surrender to love
Surrender
Till it wraps it's arms around you forever
Forever
Surrender to love
I'll surrender baby
It will only change your world for the better
Only change your world if you surrender
To love I love the love
Be around, around, surrender
The lyrics of Ray Charles's song Surrender to Love encourage the listener to embrace love and live a life of love. The opening lyrics compare love to a battle where fears must be fought to allow wounded hearts to heal. The verse sets the tone for the song's message, which is that love should be freely given because it can change our world for the better. The refrain repeats the phrase "Surrender to love," emphasizing that surrendering oneself to love will bring one to a place of peace and healing.
The second verse expresses a desire to be surrounded by love and to feel free from the constraints that prevent it from entering one's heart. The verse acknowledges that there is a blessing in every road taken, every lesson learned, and every love encounter. Getting hurt in love is a possibility, but one is encouraged not to be afraid to explore it nonetheless. The next verse highlights the need to trust in the future's possibilities and the power of love to transform our lives. The song ends with a call to surrender entirely to love, to let it wrap its arms around us forever.
The song's message is a compelling reminder that love can give us the strength to overcome our fears and ultimately heal our wounded hearts. It encourages us to embrace love fully and to let go of our fears and inhibitions, which often hold us back from experiencing great things. It is a message of hope, inspiring listeners to take a leap of faith and re-discover the simple joys of unconditional love.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes we had to be like a warrior in battle
We have had to fight hard just like warriors.
Fighting all our fears
We had to fight against all our fears.
To many wounded hearts keep filling up the fidges
There are too many heartbroken people out there.
And nearly disappear
And their misery is almost unnoticed.
But I still can't believe it
It's hard to believe.
You dream of the day
You have a vision of a better future.
We can freely give our love away, away
We can give our love freely to others without hesitation or fear.
Why stay the way we are it hasn't worked so far
If what we've been doing hasn't worked, why not try something different.
It's a new day, what if we all could say
A new day means a new beginning for all of us.
Surrender to love
Let us surrender to love.
Till it wraps it's arms around you forever
Until love embraces us forever.
Oh yeah yeah
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm.
It will only change your world for the better
Love will only make our world a better place.
I wanna feel like I got
I want to experience or have something.
Heaven all around me
I want to feel like I am surrounded by heaven.
Angels in the sky
Angels watching over me.
I want to tell my heart
I want to confess or acknowledge something to myself.
It finally want it's freedom
My heart wants to be liberated from something that has been holding it back.
And what a sweet surprise
And it will be a beautiful surprise.
I know there is a blessing
I am certain that there is a blessing.
In each forget road
Even in tough times, there are still blessings to be found.
In every lesson learned
Every experience teaches a valuable lesson.
And in every, every, every love
And in every aspect of love.
Don't be afraid to fall
Do not be scared of failing or making mistakes.
You never lose it all
You may never lose everything.
Come and see
Come and experience it for yourself.
Everyone will win if we:
We will all win if we:
Trust in me to follow
Believe in me and follow my lead.
Just follow
Simply follow.
Trust in what you'll be tomorrow
Believe in the person you will become tomorrow.
Feel the change coming on like a sunrise
I can feel a positive change coming.
And you'll be dreaming and you can be it
You can dream it and achieve it.
So just close your eyes
Close your eyes and visualize it.
I'm in love
I have fallen in love.
Be around, around, surrender
Be present and surrender to love.
Lyrics © SOLSHIEN MUSIC
Written by: Narada Michael Walden, Sunny Hilden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind