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Ray Charles
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Biography
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.”
Rolling Stone ranked Charles nu…
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Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.” Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley. I don't know if Ray was the architect of rock & roll, but he was certainly the first guy to do a lot of things . . . Who the hell ever put so many styles together and made it work?"
Biography expanded
BODY OF WORK
Ray Charles's Filmography
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Quincy Jones, Music Man
as Self (archive footage)
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
as Self (archive footage)
Merci Dorothée !
as Self (archive footage)
The Greatest Night in Pop
as Self (archive footage)
They All Came Out to Montreux
as Self (archive footage)
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
as Self (archive footage)
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
No Poster
Piano Greats at the BBC
as Self (archive footage)
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
as Self (archive footage)
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
as Self (archive footage)
Rat Pack
as Self (archive footage)
Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
as Self (archival footage)
Face of Unity
as Self
No Poster
Jazzline - Ray Charles & Orchestra
as Self
Ray Charles - Live in France 1961
as Self
O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar
as Self (archive footage)
Ray Charles: Live At Montreux 1997
as Self
Jazz Evolution
as Self - Piano, Vocals
Ray Charles: The Legend Lives On
as Self
Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built
as Self
Rolling With the Blues
as Self (archive footage)
Fats Domino: Walking to New Orleans
as Self
Glen Campbell | Good Times Again
as Self
Fats and Friends
as Self
Ray Charles: Live at the Olympia
as Self
Ray Charles with the Voices of Jubilation Choir
as Self
Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special: 1976
as Self
The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music
as Self (archive footage)
Ray Charles: O-Genio - Live In Brazil 1963
as Self
Ray Charles: Soul of the Holy Land
as Self
No Poster
Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company
as Self
Tom Dowd & The Language of Music
as Self
Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues
as Self (archive footage)
Rockin' Pianos
as Self
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
Piano Blues
as Self
Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin'
as Self
The Willie Nelson Special - With Special Guest Ray Charles
as Self
Ray Charles: Live: Montreux Jazz Festival
as Self
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
as Self
Ray Charles - In Concert
as Self
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
as Self (archive footage)
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
as Self (archive footage)
Blue's Big Musical Movie
as G-Clef (voice)
Quincy Jones... The First 50 Years
as Self
Spy Hard
as Busdriver
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
as Self - Performer
The World of Jim Henson
as Self (archive footage)
Love Affair
as Self
Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
as Self (archive footage)
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
Sesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration
as Self (segment "Monster in the Mirror")
Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O
as Self
No Poster
A Party For Richard Pryor
as Self
Montreux Jazz Festival 1991
as Self
Lennon: A Tribute
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
as Self
Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones
as Self
Limit Up
as Julius
Sesame Street: 20 Years & Still Counting! 1969-1989
as Self
Legends of Rock 'n' Roll
as Ray Charles
Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration
as Self
The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together - A Celebration In Waikiki
as Self
No Poster
Billy Joel: Building the Bridge
as Self
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
as Self (archive footage)
The Statue of Liberty
as Self - Composer
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
as Self
No Poster
Salute to Lady Liberty
I Love Quincy
as Self
No Poster
Ray Charles: A Man & His Soul
as Ray Charles
No Poster
Hallelujah Gospel
as Self
Lynda Carter's Celebration
as Self
Ray Charles Live - In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony
as Self
John Schneider: Back Home
as Self
No Poster
Ray Charles At The North Sea Jazz Festival
as Self
The Blues Brothers
as Ray
Ray Charles: Angels Keep Watching Over Me
as Self
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
as Self
The Second Barry Manilow Special
as Self
50 Years of Country Music
as Self
The Beatles Forever
as Self
Barbra Streisand... and Other Musical Instruments
as Self
Ray Charles - La Salle Pleyel, Paris
as Self
The Big T.N.T. Show
as Self
Ballad in Blue
as Self
Swingin' Along
as Self
No Poster
Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer
as Self (archive footage)