Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Known as 'The Genius' among his contemporaries, Charles was one of the most influential musicians in history. Blinded during childhood, possibly due to glaucoma, he overcame the challenge and became a pioneer of soul music. Combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel, Charles revolutionized the genre with his recordings for Atlantic Records in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he further contributed to the integration of country, rhythm and blues, and pop music, achieving crossover success on ABC Records. Charles was also one of the first black musicians to have artistic control over his music with a mainstream record company. His hit song 'Georgia on My Mind' topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960.