In our previous articles, we looked at stamps honoring famous figures like Clint Eastwood, John F. Kennedy, Bob Dylan, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Paul McCartney, Judy Garland, George Orwell, Neil Armstrong, and Leonard Cohen. Today, we’ll take a look back at Ray Charles and listen to some of his most important songs.
Ray Charles Robinson, known worldwide simply as Ray Charles, was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia. He dropped his last name early in his career to avoid confusion with the famous boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.
Charles’s early years were marked by tragedy. When he was five, he witnessed the drowning of his younger brother George, who slipped into a laundry tub. Soon after, Ray began losing his eyesight from untreated glaucoma. By the age of seven, he was completely blind.
Ray Charles
Despite these hardships, Charles’s mother pushed him to be independent. He went on to study at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, where he learned music formally and developed his incredible skills on the piano.
Ray began performing in small clubs across Florida in the late 1940s. His unique blend of rhythm and blues, gospel, and jazz quickly gained attention. By the 1950s and 1960s, he had become one of the most celebrated performers in the United States, creating a new sound that laid the foundation for soul music.
Success came with personal challenges. For 17 years, Charles struggled with heroin addiction. He was arrested in 1955 with drugs backstage but continued to battle addiction as his fame grew. His personal life was also turbulent - he fathered 12 children with different women throughout his lifetime.
Ray Charles passed away on June 10, 2004, at the age of 73, from complications of liver disease.
Still, his legacy is undeniable. Over his career, he recorded more than 60 albums and gave over 10,000 live performances, captivating audiences around the world. Known as the “Genius of Soul”, Ray Charles transformed modern music and remains one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
Today we took a look at a beautiful U.S. stamp honoring Ray Charles, and also listened to some of his masterpieces. While you wait for the next article, feel free to explore some of the earlier ones from this series.
Celebrities on Stamps: Bob Dylan
Celebrities on Stamps: David Bowie
Celebrities on Stamps: Pink Floyd
Celebrities on Stamps: The Rolling Stones
Celebrities on Stamps: John F. Kennedy
Celebrities on Stamps: Clint Eastwood
Celebrities on Stamps: Marilyn Monroe
Celebrities on Stamps: Paul McCartney
Celebrities on Stamps: Judy Garland
Celebrities on Stamps: George Orwell
