Ray Charles

RAY CHARLES d2004. American singer-songwriter, musician and composer. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray." He was often referred to as "The Genius". He had been blind since the age of seven. He pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues / R&B and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic Records. He also contributed to the integration of country music, R&B and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records. While he was with ABC, he became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company. In 2002, Rolling Stone ranked him No10 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". He died in Beverly Hills aged 73 on June 10th 2004.