Born 96 Years Ago in Georgia, the Blind Soul Pioneer Who Broke Racial Boundaries and Brought Country Music to a Wider Audience

On this day (September 23) in 1930, Ray Charles was born in Albany, Georgia. After going blind as a child, he learned to play a variety of instruments, including the piano, saxophone, and clarinet. In the 1950s, he pioneered soul music, combining his blues and gospel influences on tracks like “I Got a Woman.” Later, he took on country music with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, spreading the genre to a wider audience and crossing racial boundaries.

Charles lost his sight to glaucoma when he was seven years old. He attended the Saint Augustine School of the Blind and Deaf, where he began studying music. He didn’t just learn to play, though. Charles learned to read and write music using Braille. He also found the connection between math and musical notation, which allowed him to compose pieces in his head.

In his teens, Charles worked as a traveling musician, playing in country and jazz bands in Florida before moving to Washington state. Initially, his sound was heavily influenced by Nat King Cole. Over time, though, he began to develop his own style. In the early 1950s, he moved to Los Angeles, where he began recording for Atlantic Records. In 1954, he released his first big hit, “I Got a Woman.” According to PBS, this song was the birth of soul music.

Ray Charles Breaks Racial Boundaries

The music industry stopped using the term “race records” to refer to music marketed to Black listeners in the late 1940s. However, music was still largely, if unofficially, segregated in the early 1960s. More specifically, soul, R&B, blues, and jazz were “Black” art forms. Country music, on the other hand, was dominated by white musicians, despite its diverse and integrated roots. Ray Charles changed that in 1962 with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music volumes 1 and 2.

The first album topped the Billboard 200 and the second peaked at No. 2. Both albums also produced hit singles. Notably, the first LP contained “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” which went to No. 1 on the Hot 100. The song also won Best Male Solo Vocal Performance, Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards in 1962.

The albums weren’t just commercial and critical hits, though. They represented a landmark moment in American music. Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, Charles boldly broke racial barriers by working his soul style into country music. The collection of reworked country standards also made Charles the first Black artist to take full creative control of his recordings.

On a wider scope, Charles introduced country songs and songwriting to a wider mainstream audience. Moreover, artists like Willie Nelson and Buck Owens were heavily influenced by Charles’ approach to the genre.

[RELATED: Every Music Fan Should Know These 3 Ray Charles Songs]

“Look, let’s face it. Good music is good music,” Charles said. “I don’t care if it’s Beethoven, Chopin, blues, rock. Music’s been around for a long time, and there’s going to be music long after Ray Charles is dead. I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good behind. If it’s a big record, that’s the frosting on the cake. The music is the main deal.”

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