Ray Charles was blind, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his goals. The late singer-songwriter inspires everyone because he overcame hard times and will always be remembered for what he did for soul music.
Here’s the story of how the famous Ray Charles lost his sight. Ray Charles had a hard childhood because he was blind, and other things went wrong, like when his younger brother George died.
Even though the singer-songwriter had a brutal youth, he didn’t let that stop him from following his dream of making music. Ray Charles was born on September 23, 1930. By the time he was three, he was interested in music.
Wylie Pitman, the owner of the Red Wing Cafe, saw that the young boy was interested in the piano and began to teach Ray how to play. Ray Charles was still able to see at this point. In this article, we will discuss how ray charles went blind and many other things.
How Did Ray Charles Go Blind?
Ray Charles went blind around the age of four, and it got worse until he was completely blind by age seven. Glaucoma, a disease of the eyes, was to blame for the loss. His mother was broken and sad after her younger son George drowned and Ray got sick, but she was determined to get her giant son a good education no matter what.
When Ray Charles went to the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, his teacher was very patient and taught him how to play braille music. Ray would learn to play Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach until he was 14. Ray would feel so much pain after his mother died that he quit school.
Ray Charles Later Years
Even though Ray Charles had a hard childhood, he could get through it and became a famous soul musician as an adult. Ray was among the first people to make soul music in the 1950s. In the 1960s, he also helped country, pop, rhythm, and blues blend.
Nat King Cole, a jazz singer and guitarist, had a significant impact on Ray, and some of his best-known hits are:
- “Georgia On My Mind”
- “Hit the Road Jack”
- “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
- “Busted”
- Buck Owens “Crying Time”.
Ray Charles Death
Ray Charles had a lot of success, but over the years, he became addicted to drugs. This led to liver failure in 2004, after he had surgery to replace his hip. Fans were sad to hear that the artist had died since he was still quite young at 73.
Ray Charles Death at age 73 June 10, 2004:
Happy Birthday Ray Charles Robinson aka Ray Charles this day in September 23, 1930 in Albany, GA Death at age 73 June 10, 2004 pic.twitter.com/yZs9haqoYS
— Pastor De Lay (@Pastor_DeLay) September 23, 2020
His death was mourned all over the world. Some reviewers have said that Ray Charles was even more important to music than Elvis Presley, who was number two on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 greatest singers ever.
Charles, who would have been 91 this year, left behind a legacy that will last forever, and Ray Charles’s strength, even when he was blind, is an example for everyone.
