Ray Charles: the 100 most inspiring musicians of all time
Ray Charles Robinson (b. Sept. 23, 1930, Albany, Ga., U.S.—d. June 10, 2004, Beverly Hills, Calif.) was an American pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader.
Ray Charles was a leading entertainer, often billed as “the Genius.” Charles was credited with the early development of soul music, a style based on a melding of gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz music.
When Ray Charles was an infant, his family moved to Greenville, Florida, and he began his musical career at age five on a piano in a neighbourhood café. He began to go blind at six, possibly from glaucoma, completely losing his sight by age seven. He attended the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind, where he concentrated on musical studies, but left school at age 15 to play the piano professionally after his mother died from cancer (his father had died when the boy was 10).
Ray Charles built a remarkable career based on the immediacy of emotion in his performances. After emerging as a blues and jazz pianist indebted to Nat King Cole’s style in the late 1940s, Charles recorded the boogie-woogie classic “Mess Around” and the novelty song “It Should’ve Been Me” in 1952–53. His arrangement for Guitar Slim’s “The Things That I Used to Do” became a blues million-seller in 1953.
By 1954 Charles had created a successful combination of blues and gospel influences and signed on with Atlantic Records. Propelled by Charles’s distinctive raspy voice, “I’ve Got a Woman” and “Hallelujah I Love You So” became hit records. “What’d I Say” led the rhythm-and-blues sales
charts in 1959 and was Charles’s own first million-seller.
Ray Charles’s rhythmic piano playing and band arranging revived the “funky” quality of jazz, but he also recorded in many other musical genres. He entered the pop market with the bestsellers “Georgia on My Mind” (1960) and “Hit the Road, Jack” (1961). His album Modern Sounds in
Country and Western Music (1962) sold more than one million copies, as did its single, “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Thereafter, his music emphasized jazz standards and renditions of pop and show tunes.
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Artist or Composer / Score name | Cover | List of Contents |
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Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, easy piano solo arr. | Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, easy piano solo arr. | |
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy Arr. for 2 pianos | ||
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Overture Fantasy Arr. for 2 pianos.mscz | ||
Tchaikovsky Serenade For Strings 1st Mov. (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake Piano Solo Arr. Main Theme.mxl | ||
Tchaikovsky Symphony n. 6 Op. 76 (paino solo arr. by Pachulski) | ||
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 4th Movement (Piano Solo) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Tchaikovsky The Man And His Music David Brown Book | ||
Tchaikovsky Waltz Of The Flowers From The Nutcracker (Piano 4 Hands) (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Tchaikovsky-Vedernikov Symphony No 6 ”Pathetique” In B Minor Op 74 (Arranged For Piano) | Tchaikovsky-Vedernikov Symphony No 6 | |
Tchaikovsky, Guide to the practical study of Harmony (1900) | ||
Teach Yourself Rock Piano (Professional Know-How) | ||
Teach Yourself Visually Piano (Mary Sue Taylor, Tere Stouffer) Sheet Music | Teach Yourself Visually Piano (Mary Sue Taylor, Tere Stouffer) Sheet Music | |
Teardrops (Gabriel Thorn) | ||
Tears For Fears – Head Over Heels | ||
Tears For Fears – Mad World | ||
Tears For Fears Tears Roll Down Greatest Hits 82 92 | Tears For Fears Tears Roll Down Greatest Hits 82 92 | |
Technic Is Fun Book 1 Late Elementary By David Hirschberg | Technic Is Fun Book 1 Late Elementary By David Hirschberg | |
Techniques Of Improvisation 1 by David Baker | ||
Ted Gioia The Jazz Standards A Guide To The Repertoire | ||
Ted Greene My Funny Valentine Guitar Tablatur TABs | ||
Teddy Wilson 19 Selected Piano Solo Transcriptions | Teddy Wilson piano solo transcriptions | |
Teddy Wilson Collection 12 Transcriptions | Teddy Wilson Collection 12 Transcriptions | |
Teddy Wilson Piano Creations Of Standards Songs | Teddy Wilson Piano songbook | |
Teddy Wilson Piano Patterns | Teddy Wilson Piano Patterns | |
Tema di Ada (Novecento OST) Ennio Morricone | ||
Tema di Elisa (Elisa di Rivombrosa OST) Savio Riccardi | ||
Tema di Francesca – La moglie più bella OST (Ennio Morricone) | ||
Temptations – My Girl | ||
Tenderness In The Air – From Final Fantasy V By Nobuo Uematsu (Musescore File).mscz | ||
Tendre Marie-Charlotte – L’incorrigible OST (Georges Delerue) | ||
Tenero abbraccio – Elisa di Rivombrosa OST (Savio Riccardi) | ||
Tennessee Whiskey By Linda Hargrove and Dean Dillon Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | ||
Tenor Saxophone 20 Jazz Etudes Vol 1 Tenor by Gregory B. Taylor Jr. | ||
Teoria Musical – Contrapunto – Alan Belkin (Spanish-Español) | Book Theory | |
Teoria Musical Para Dummies + MP3 (Spanish-Español) Michael Pilhofer-Holly Day | ||
Teoria Musical y Armonía Moderna Vol 2 (Enric Herrera) Español – Spanish | ||
Teoria Musical y Armonia Moderna Vol.1 Enric Herrera (Español – Spanish) | ||
Terence Snider – Take Five (by Paul Desmond) transcription | ||
Terrence Shider – Wave (Jobim) Sheet Music transcription | Terrence Shider – Wave (Jobim) Sheet Music transcription | |
Terry Burrows – How To Read Music (with audio MP3) | Terry Burrows – How To Read Music | |
Terry Scott Taylor Klaymen’s Theme | Terry Scott Taylor Klaymen’s Theme | |
Tete Montoliu – Au Privave | ||
Tete Montoliu – Feelings (Morris Albert) | Tete Montoliu Feelings | |
Tete Montoliu – Feelings – My Way – Au Privave compilation | ||
Tete Montoliu – It Never Entered My Mind | ||
Tete Montoliu – My Way – Comme D’Habitude | ||
Tete Montoliu A Child Is Born | ||
Tete Montoliu Giant Steps | ||
Tete Montoliu When I Fall In Love – Victor Young | ||
Tetris – Tetris Main Theme Piano Sheet Music | ||
Tetris Theme Korobeiniki (Piano Solo Tiles Arr.) | ||
Texas – Black Eyed Boy | ||
Texas Say What You Want | Texas Say What You Want | |
Texas Southside Guitar Songbook with Tablature | Texas Southside Guitar Songbook | |
The Most Requested Jazz Standards (75 songs) pdf | The Most Requested Jazz Standards | |
The 100 Most influential Musicians of all Time (Brittanica Guide to) Book | ||
The 70’s Rock Score | ||
The Accidental Tourist – A Second Chance – John Williams | ||
The Act Of Touch In All Its Diversity An Analysis And Synthesis Of Pianoforte Tone Production (By Tobias Matthay) (1903) | ||
The Addams Family – Love On A Tombstone – Marc Shaiman | ||
The Addams Family The Musical by Andrew Lippa Vocal Selections | The Addams Family The Musical by Andrew Lippa Vocal Selections | |
The Addams Family Theme Piano Solo | ||
The Ahrens & Flaherty Songbook For Piano Vocal And Chords | ||
The Alan Parsons Project – Sirius (Musescore File).mscz | ||
The Alchemist (Russel Watson & Lara Fabian) | ||
The All Time Best Collection vol. 3 | The All Time Best Collection vol3.PDF | |
The alley cat (Liberace) | ||
The Angel (Lust, Caution OST) Alexandre Desplat | ||
The Animals – House Of The Rising Sun | The Animals – House Of The Rising Sun | |
The Anna Magdalena Bach Book of 1725 (Richard Jones) ABRSM | ||
The Aristocrats Blues Fuckers Guitar Tabs Pdf | ||
The Aristocrats Cocktail Umbrellas Guitar Tabs | ||
The Aristocrats And Finally Guitar Tabs | ||
The Aristocrats Bad Asteroid Guitar Tabs | ||
The Aristocrats Dance Of The Aristocrats Guitar Tabs | ||
The Aristocrats Get It Like That Guitar Tabs | ||
The Aristocrats Living The Dream Culture Clash Guitar Tabs | ||
The Aristocrats Sweaty Knockers Guitar Tabs | ||
The Art Of Blues Solos by Robben Ford (Guitar with Tablature) | The Art Of Blues Solos by Robben Ford (Guitar) | |
The Art Of Improvisation (Organ) – by T. Carl Whitmer | ||
The Art of Jazz improvisation book 1 Bob Taylor | ||
The Art of Jazz improvisation book 2 Bob Taylor | ||
The Art Of Music – Cambridge Library Collection (Book) | ||
The Art Of Partimento | ||
The Art Of Piano Fingering A New Approach To Scales And Arpeggios (Penelope Roskell) Book | ||
The Art Of Piano Playing Heinrich Neuhaus Book | ||
The Art Of Piano Playing – A Scientific Approach by George Kochevitsky (1996) | ||
The Art Of Pianoforte Playing (By Ernst Pauer) (1877) | ||
The Art of Ragtime Guitar with MP3 audio tracks with Tablature | The Art of Ragtime Guitar with MP3 audio tracks sheet music pdf | |
The Art Of The Player-Piano – A Text-Book For Student And Teacher (By Sydney Grew) (1922) | ||
The Artist At The Piano (George Woodhouse) (1910) | ||
The Augmented Scale In Jazz A Players guide for all instruments by Walt Weiskopf And Ramon Ricker | ||
The Authentic Guitar Style Of Harry Chapin With Tabs | The Authentic Guitar Style Of Harry Chapin With Tabs | |
The Avett Brothers Best Of The Avett Brothers Songbook | The Avett Brothers Best Of The Avett Brothers Songbook | |
The Band Music and Music From Big Pink Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | The Band Music and Music From Big Pink Piano Vocal Guitar Chords | |
The Bangles – Eternal Flame | ||
The Beach Boys Pet Sounds | The Beach Boys Pet Sounds | |
The Beatles Beatles Collection Band Score Arr Johan De Meij | ||
The Beatles Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Guitar Tablature (13 Songs) | ||
The Beatles Songbook (Full Band Score) | ||
The Beatles Strawberry Fields Forever As Played By Andy Timmons Guitar With Tabs | The Beatles Strawberry Fields Forever As Played By Andy Timmons Guitar With Tabs | |
The Beatles The Symphonic Beatles (Concert Band Series Conductor Score) | ||
The Beatles Basslines – Transcribed by Phil Mulford | The Beatles Basslines – Transcribed by Phil Mulford | |
The Beatles Revolver (Guitar songbook with Tablature) | The Beatles Revolver (Guitar songbook) | |
The Beatles – A Hard Days Night | ||
The Beatles – Across The Universe Easy Solo Piano | ||
The Beatles – All Songs 1962-1974 (piano, vocal & guitar) | The The Beatles – All Songs 1962-1974 (piano-vocal) | |
The Beatles – All The Songs The Story Behind Every Beatles Release | The Beatles – All The Songs The Story Behind Every Beatles Release | |
The Beatles – BLACKBIRD Jazzy ver. | The Beatles – BLACKBIRD Jazzy ver. | |
The Beatles – Complete Scores Full Transcriptions from the original recordings (Every Song written & recorded by The Beatles) | ||
The Beatles – Complete Songbook For Guitar, Tabs And Chords | The The Beatles – Complete Songbook For Guitar, Tabs And Chords | |
The Beatles – Eight Days A Week | ||
The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby | ||
The Beatles – Eleanor Rigby Concert Band Full Score Arr. by Larry Moore | ||
The Beatles – Here There And Everywhere | ||
The Beatles – Hey Jude (Piano, vocal, Guitar chords) | The Beatles hey-jude | |
The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand | ||
The Beatles – It’s Easy To Play Beatles 1 | The Beatles – It’s Easy To Play Beatles 1 | |
The Beatles – It’s Easy To Play Beatles 2 | The Beatles – It’s Easy To Play Beatles 2 |
From 1955, Ray Charles toured extensively in the United States and elsewhere with his own big band and a gospelstyle female backup quartet called The Raeletts. He also appeared on television and worked in films such as Ballad in Blue (1964) and The Blues Brothers (1980) as a featured act and soundtrack composer. He formed his own custom recording labels, Tangerine in 1962 and Crossover Records n 1973.
The recipient of many national and international awards, he received 13 Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award in 1987. In 1986 Charles was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received a Kennedy Center Honor. He published an autobiography, Brother Ray, Ray Charles’ Own Story (1978), written with David Ritz.
Download Ray Charles’ sheet music from our Library.
Ray Charles in Copenhagen 1973
Track List:
0:00 Intro 5:29 Hallelujah I Love Her So (Ray Charles) 9:08 Georgia On My Mind (Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell) 15:09 You Made Me Love You (James V. Monaco & Joseph McCarthy) 18:12 Yesterday (Paul McCartney) 23:43 Feel So Bad (J. Johnson) 30:05 Goin’ Down Slow (“St. Louis” Jimmy Oden) 37:27 Goin’ Down Slow (Bis) 39:45 Intro Raelettes 44:16 Rocksteady (Aretha Franklin)
48:55 I Can’t Stop Loving You (Don Gibson) 54:48 Look What They Have Done To My Song, Ma (The New Seekers) 59:58 Indian Love Call (Nelson Eddy & Jeanette MacDonald) 1:14:40 Eleanor Rigby (Paul McCartney & John Lennon) 1:18:47 Introduction John Henderson 1:23:10 Shake (Ray Charles) 1:27:35 Ray introducing Raelettes by name; in call and response improv) 1:39:20 Leave My Man Alone (Vernita Moss) 1:42:54 Introduction band 1:43:41 So Soon (John Henderson) 1:48:30 What’d I Say (Ray Charles)