RAY CHARLES
The Rough Guide to Ray Charles
world music network
this sets you up with all the hits you need in a pinch: ‘I Got A Woman’, ‘Georgia On My Mind’, ‘Mess Around’; they’re all here.
Ray Charles Robinson was born into acute poverty in rural Georgia in 1930 & had a tragic upbringing. He witnessed his brother drown as a young child, was blind from the age of seven & lost his mother when he was 15. At blind school he learnt to read & write music in braille & began his recording career for the Downbeat label in 1949, singing in a smooth, crooning style modelled on Nat ‘King’ Cole & Charles Brown. it was not until he signed to Atlantic Records in 1952 that he began to develop his own style & moved away from his ‘cool’ sound towards a more urgent & emotional approach with its roots in blues & gospel.

Tracklist
- Come Rain Or Come Shine
- What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2)
- Lonely Avenue
- I Got A Woman
- Georgia On My Mind
- Hallelujah I Love Her So
- Drown In My Own Tears
- Early In The Morning
- Night Time Is The Right Time
- Mess Around
- I Believe To My Soul
- Mary Ann
- Come Back Baby
- This Little Girl Of Mine
- Sinner's Prayer
- Talkin' ‘Bout You
- A Fool For You
- Let The Good Times Roll
- Blackjack
- I Had A Dream
- Tell Me How Do You Feel
- It Should've Been Me
- I’m Moving On