Ray Charles Robinson was the son of Aretha Robinson, a sharecropper, and Bailey Robinson, a railroad repair man, mechanic and handyman. Aretha Robinson was a devout Christian and the family attended the New Shiloh Baptist Church. When Ray was an infant, his family moved from Albany, Georgia, where he was born, to the poor black community on the western side of Greenville, Florida. In his early years, Charles showed a curiosity for mechanical things and he often watched the neighborhood men working on their cars and farm machinery. His musical curiosity was sparked at Mr. Wiley Pits Red Wing Cafe when Pit played boogie woogie on an old upright piano. Pit would care for George, Rays brother, so as to take the burden off Williams. However, George drowned in the Williams bath tub when he was four years old. After witnessing the death of his brother, Ray would feel an overwhelming sense of guilt later on in life. Charles started to lose his sight at the age of five. He went completely blind by the age of seven, apparently due to glaucoma. He attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine from 1937 to 1945, where he developed his musical talent. During this time he performed on WFOY radio in St. Augustine. His father died when he was 10, and his mother died five years afterward. At the age of 73 this world lost one of the Top Ten Greatest Artist Of All Time. Ray Charles Robinson would have been 84 today...... Ray wasnt the type to Mess Around when it came to his love of music. Ray made America The Beautiful prouder and its not Crying Time but a celebration and time to say---Happy Birthday Ray, when it comes to music you dont have to ask Whatd Id Say, cause just like Ray when it comes to music......
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 19:47:33 +0000
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