Ray Charles

Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers ever, and he was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray". Charles was blinded during childhood, possibly due to glaucoma.
Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic Records. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.
==Links to Peel==
Peel would sometimes play some of Ray Charles music on his shows, especially 'Shake Your Tailfeather', which was one of the soundtracks of the Blues Brothers movie, which he considered as one of the great movies. He also played a track from the singer on his 10 June 2004 programme after hearing the news of the death of the singer earlier on in the day.
==Shows Played==
;thumb|220x220px1984
*04 April 1984: Mess Around
*16 May 1984: The Right Time (compilation album - Tell The Truth) Charly
;1986
*21 October 1986: Shake Your Tailfeather (v/a LP - The Blues Brothers (Original Soundtrack Recording)) Atlantic
;1989
*17 August 1989: Shake Your Tailfeather (v/a LP - The Blues Brothers (Original Soundtrack Recording)) Atlantic
;1993
*26 November 1993: Shake Your Tailfeather ( [The Blues Brothers])
*03 December 1993 (BFBS): Shake Your Tailfeather (LP: Blues Brothers Soundtrack) Atlantic
;2000
*21 September 2000: Midnight Hour
;2004
*10 June 2004: Take These Chains From My Heart (LP - Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music Volume Two) ABC/Paramount
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
Category:Artists