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."
Then We'll Be Home
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know where im going
Things are tough they awfully rough
But still im going
I got no rest i did my best and
Oh im so tired
The pay was low the work was slow
And i got fired (dammit)
Dollars of my own
And im comin home
"You better believe it"
When i get this million dollars of my own
Whoa oh-o
I hurt my maw my paw said son
Why you leaving
Well if i stay within my heart
Ill be grieving "i told him that"
I had to leave my girl behind
She was so hurt inside
And as i left I kissed her on the cheek
Then i wiped her eyes lawd have mercy
"You just let me get my hands on this million"
Dollars of my own
And im coming home to you mama
Yes i am
"If i can just uh, find a million huh - huh" dollars of my own im coming on whoa o ohhn
(Orchestra)
I packed my bags I'm going away
I don't know where I'm going
Things are tough they awfully rough
Yet im going "and y'all cant stop me"
I got no rest did my best
And im so tired
The pay was low the work was slow
And i got fired oh yes i did
But one day soon I'll make a million
Dollars of my own yeah and ill be home
"Dont worry about that"
"And i just might find a lady friend
With a million, huh"
Dollars of her own
Well, I'll be home
Y'all know oh oh-oh
If i can just find a million
Dollars of my own
Im coming ho-o-o ho-ome
"And if i get this lady friend that's the main thing, with a million"
Dollars of her own
Well, we got to come home, yeah we will
Woo, yeah we're sure to make a million
Dollars of our own I'm coming on-n-n on home
"Ah-ha, I better not "git" my hands on no million, I'm talking about dollars, no way
'Cuz, if i do - lookout, i aint jivin'
I'm gonna be a mean mutha ...
The lyrics of Ray Charles's song "Then We'll Be Home" tell the story of a man who has had enough of his hard life and decides to leave everything behind in search of a better future. The man is tired and has done his best, but things didn't work out. He has lost his job, and he knows he has to leave his family and loved ones behind. He promises to come back home once he has found a million dollars of his own. The man knows that the journey ahead will not be easy, but he's determined to make it no matter what.
The lyrics of "Then We'll Be Home" are full of emotions, from the frustration of not being able to provide for his family to the hope of finding a better life for himself. There is an underlying message that it is never too late to start over and find happiness. The man is willing to take the risk and start a new chapter in his life. The song also speaks of the importance of family and loved ones, and the sacrifices one has to make for a better future.
Overall, "Then We'll Be Home" is an inspiring song that speaks of hope and resilience. It is a reminder that tough times do not last, but tough people do. The lyrics are relatable and speak to anyone who has ever faced adversities in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Packed my bags im going away
I am leaving my current place of residence and traveling to an unknown destination
I don't know where im going
Unaware of the specific location I will end up at
Things are tough they awfully rough
The current circumstances are difficult and challenging
But still im going
Regardless of the obstacles, I am continuing my journey
I got no rest i did my best and
I have been working tirelessly without any rest, and
Oh im so tired
As a result, I am feeling extremely fatigued
The pay was low the work was slow
The job I had provided low wages and was not very productive
And i got fired (dammit)
I was let go from my job, which was frustrating
One day soon im gonna make a million
I have aspirations to acquire a large amount of wealth
Dollars of my own
And it will be my own hard-earned money
And im comin home
When I achieve my financial goals, I plan to return home
"You better believe it"
This is a confident statement indicating that I will indeed make a million dollars
When i get this million dollars of my own
I will only return home once I have earned a million dollars
Whoa oh-o
An expression of excitement and anticipation for what's to come
I hurt my maw my paw said son
I have caused emotional pain to my mother, as my father pointed out
Why you leaving
My loved ones are questioning why I am choosing to depart
Well if i stay within my heart
Staying would cause emotional distress for me
Ill be grieving "i told him that"
I have explained to my father that if I do not leave, I will be in a state of mourning
I had to leave my girl behind
I left my significant other when I departed
She was so hurt inside
My partner was emotionally wounded by my departure
And as i left I kissed her on the cheek
I said my goodbyes to my loved one before departing
Then i wiped her eyes lawd have mercy
I comforted my partner as she cried
"You just let me get my hands on this million"
My motivation for making a million dollars is so I can provide for my loved ones
Dollars of my own
It is important that my wealth is earned and rightfully mine
And im coming home to you mama
I plan to return home to my mother once I achieve my financial goals
Yes i am
This is a firm affirmation that I will certainly return home
"If i can just uh, find a million huh - huh" dollars of my own
This line is a repetition of my desire to earn a million dollars
Im coming ho-o-o ho-ome
An expression of joy and excitement for returning home
"And if i get this lady friend that's the main thing, with a million"
Aside from acquiring wealth, finding a romantic partner is also important to me
Well, we got to come home, yeah we will
I plan to return home with my loved ones
Woo, yeah we're sure to make a million
This is a statement of confidence and optimism that I will achieve wealth
Dollars of our own I'm coming on-n-n on home
I will return home once I have earned my own hard-earned money
"Ah-ha, I better not "git" my hands on no million, I'm talking about dollars, no way
This line is a humorous remark indicating I do not want to become greedy and only want to earn a reasonable amount
'Cuz, if i do - lookout, i aint jivin'
This is to emphasize that I am not joking and becoming too greedy could have consequences
I'm gonna be a mean mutha ...
The song ends with a humorous and confident statement indicating that I will become a fierce and powerful force once I achieve my financial goals
Writer(s): SAYDE SHERPARD
Contributed by Connor H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Terry Wheatley
Ray's greatest song. I can't watch this video enough. Thanks to whoever posted this.
Mike Bynes
Great song, supreme performance
Dnotes Dnotes
Heard this when i was a kid STILLLL FEELS GOOD