Ray Charles

Singer

1930-09-23 – 2004-06-10

Ray Charles was an American singer, pianist, and bandleader who helped define modern soul music. His work fused gospel, rhythm and blues, jazz, and country into a new mainstream sound. He became one of the most influential performers in 20th-century American music.

Quotes by Ray Charles

Learning to read music in Braille & play by ear helped me develop a [very] good memory.
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Dreams, if they're any good, are always a little bit crazy.
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Dreams, if they're any good, are always a little bit crazy.
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Learning to read music in Braille & play by ear helped me develop a [very] good memory.
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My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil.
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I am very into lyrics. I start with what the words are saying, what the storyline is saying, like a good script. It should really capture me, do something for me. If I don't get it, it's not going to move people, and if it's not going to move people, it's not going to happen.
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There's nothing written in the Bible, Old or New testament, that says, 'If you believe in Me, you ain't going to have no troubles.'
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What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man.
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I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me - like food or water.
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People couldn't understand why my mama would have this blind kid out doing things like cutting wood for the fire. But her thing was: He may be blind, but he ain't stupid.
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I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.
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What is soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room.
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