Ray Charles
Birthday: 1930-09-23
Place of Birth: Albany, Georgia USA
Biography: Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.” Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley. I don't know if Ray was the architect of rock & roll, but he was certainly the first guy to do a lot of things . . . Who the hell ever put so many styles together and made it work?"
Movies
The Blues Brothers
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The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
While the Muppets prepare a tribute to the late Jim Henson, they learn about the life and career of ...
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Ray Charles - La Salle Pleyel, Paris
On October 8th, 1968, Ray Charles, the Raelettes and accompanying musicians performed a televised co...
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Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
Paying tribute to a beloved national icon for her birthday, NBC celebrates Carol Burnett’s illustrio...
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Ray Charles: Live At Montreux 1997
The unforgettable Ray Charles swings and sings with the best of them in this finger-snapping live pe...
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Piano Greats at the BBC
A collection of songs from the kings and queens of the keyboards, whose performances have captivated...
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Ballad in Blue
Ray Charles plays himself in this film where he helps blind boy David in his struggle to regain his ...
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Ray Charles: Live: Montreux Jazz Festival
This concert was filmed at the Montreux Jazz Festival on July 19, 1997 and features Ray Charles and ...
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The Big T.N.T. Show
Live performances by some of the top rock-and-roll acts of the mid 60s. Includes Ray Charles, The By...
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Piano Blues
Director — and piano player — Clint Eastwood explores his life-long passion for piano blues, using a...
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Ray Charles - In Concert
The name Ray Charles stands for superstar worldwide. He is an icon in the music world, has a star on...
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Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin'
Country music legend and American icon Willie Nelson is joined on stage by some of the biggest names...
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Ray Charles: Live at the Olympia
Legendary musician Ray Charles turned the lemons of transportation trouble into the sweet lemonade o...
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Blue's Big Musical Movie
Get ready for lots of musical fun in this first full-length movie based on the popular Nick Jr. TV s...
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Glen Campbell | Good Times Again
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Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration
The life, career, and music of Irving Berlin are celebrated live on stage with musical performances....
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Rat Pack
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The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music
A look at Dan and John's partnership and the music...
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The Greatest Night in Pop
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Legends of Rock 'n' Roll
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Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
'Ol' Blue Eyes' eightieth birthday celebration; star-studded entertainment, tributes by a diverse co...
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Quincy Jones...The First 50 Years
The composer-arranger-producer is honored in a tribute taped in 1997....
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The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together - A Celebration In Waikiki
Enjoy the Beach Boys in a 90 minute concert celebrating their 25 year anniversary with guest artists...
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2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
The 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony take place on Saturday, November 5, 2022...
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Rockin' Pianos
1. Introduction 2. The Fat Man - Fats Domino 3. Walking To New Orleans - Fats Domino 4. Blueberry...
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Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Never-before-heard personal recordings and archival footage tell the story of Louis Armstrong's life...
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Face of Unity
Face Of Unity is the definitive Nelson Mandela documentary feature and first retrospective to be rel...
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Ray Charles Live - In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony
This DVD was recorded on January 27, 1981 in Edmonton, Alberta at Jubilee Auditorium. It captures Ra...
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They All Came Out to Montreux
Utilizing a wealth of archival footage featuring Prince, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis and more, They...
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Spy Hard
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NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
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Tom Dowd & The Language of Music
Tom Dowd & the Language Of Music profiles the extraordinary life and legendary work of music produce...
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Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built
This American Masters episode showcases the wonderful influence of Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atl...
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Fats Domino: Walking to New Orleans
1. Introduction 2. I'm Walking 3. Blueberry Hill 4. MyBlue Heaven 5. Blue Monday 6. Hello Josep...
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TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the m...
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Barbra Streisand... and Other Musical Instruments
A mulitcultural musical potpourri, Barbra's fifth television spectacular is her most adventurous. Pe...
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Limit Up
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Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones
The extraordinary life of Quincy Jones -- one of the 20th century's most influential and talented co...
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Ray Charles: Angels Keep Watching Over Me
The Voices of Jubilation present Ray Charles. Region 0 Ray Charles was a pioneering American pianist...
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Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues
The authoritative documentary on Country Music's most influential figure....
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The Willie Nelson Special - With Special Guest Ray Charles
Recorded in 1984, Willie Nelson, one of the most influential musical figures of the past quarter cen...
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Ray Charles: The Legend Lives On
American R&B icon Ray Charles lets loose on this collection of electrifying live performances from t...
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Ray Charles: Soul of the Holy Land
Ray Charles' 1973 tour of the Holy Land is memorialized in this inspiring concert documentary, highl...
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Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special: 1976
Live performances from a television music show that aired late night on the NBC-TV network the U.S....
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Ray Charles - Live in France 1961
Lost for 50 years, these newly discovered concerts were filmed at the 1961 Antibes Jazz Festival in ...
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The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
For the first time in their careers, all the Muppets (except the ones that couldn't make it, like th...
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We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song is a documentary which examines how the song was written...
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The World of Jim Henson
In this episode of PBS' Great Performances, the history and legacy of puppeteer Jim Henson is explor...
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Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
The Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special was a 2001 New York City revue show by Michael Jackson...
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Swingin' Along
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The Statue of Liberty
For more than 100 years, the Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of hope and refuge for generations ...
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Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O
Willie Nelson and friends celebrate his sixtieth birthday in a star-studded concert event....
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The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
This Bob Hope Special called “Highlights of a Quarter Century” begins his 26th year with NBC in 1975...
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The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
This Bob Hope Special called “Highlights of a Quarter Century” begins his 26th year with NBC in 1975...
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Ray Charles At The North Sea Jazz Festival
Live Concert: Northsea Jazz Festival, Prins Willem Alexanderzaal, Congresgebouw, The Hague – July 13...
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Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company
DVD that accompanied the CD release. Has behind the scenes and rehearsal footage....
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Billy Joel: Building the Bridge
In 1986, Billy Joel released the album titled The Bridge on July 29th on Columbia Records. Go behind...
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Ray Charles: A Man & His Soul
A special celebrating Ray Charles' 40 years in show business, taped at the Cocoanut Grove club in LA...
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John Schneider: Back Home
John Schneider stars in a musical tribute to his home state of Georgia with guest stars Ray Charles ...
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Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
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Love Affair
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Hallelujah Gospel
Straight from the magnificent Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, come vaulting gospel so...
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Merci Dorothée !
A spectacular evening hosted by Nikos Aliagas to honor the legendary Dorothée, who shaped the childh...
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Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Untold stories behind the culture-defining and newsmaking musical performances, sketches and cameos ...
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Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
Suzanne Joe Kai's intimate documentary shows us how the Rolling Stone writer and editor defined the ...
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Fats and Friends
Recorded in 1986 this is a fantastic DVD. Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Ray Charles performing 1...
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WrestleMania 2
Emanating from New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, WrestleMania 2 features Hulk Hogan defending the ...
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Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
Ed Sullivan broke barriers by booking Black artists on his Sunday night variety show. This documenta...
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Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer
A feature documentary about Paul Shaffer, best known David Letterman’s longtime sidekick and Late Sh...
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Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration is a special produced forSesame Street’s 25th anniversary. ...
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