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    Legends of Soul: Ray Charles
    Legends of Soul: Ray Charles
    Legends of Soul: Ray Charles
    Ebook60 pages32 minutes

    Legends of Soul: Ray Charles

    By James Hoag

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    About this ebook

    Welcome to Volume 2 in the Legends of Soul series.

    If you have read any of The Legends of Rock & Roll series, this is similar, except I am spotlighting artists who perform primarily in the genre of Soul
    music.

    This is really a mini-biography of Ray Charles which emphasizes the music that he has created. I have had a lifelong passion for the music of the Fifties and Sixties and Pop music in general. I enjoy listening to Soul music as well as Rock and Roll and love sharing my feelings about the people who created it. This series is my way of honoring the people that have brought so much joy to our lives over the years.

    Ray Charles is recognized as being the inventor of Soul music. Soul is basically the combination of Gospel and Jazz. Ray Charles did it best and he did it first. Blind from a very young age, he went on to make his mark in the entertainment world and was given the nickname of "genius". Ray was in the first class inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ray was born in Georgia, but spent his early life in Florida. After his parents died, he traveled to Seattle, Washington where he started a wonderful career giving us the music that we will always remember. Ray Charles is gone now and we all miss him. This little tribute to Ray is written with all the love I can give it.

    Ray Charles could easily be put into the category of Rock and Roll. In fact, he has done it all. he sings Rock, Soul, R&B, Gospel, Jazz and Blues and we’ll talk a little about these as we review his life.

    Chapters included:

    Introduction - The time I saw Ray Charles in person and introducing the book.
    The Early Years - His growing up in rural Florida.
    Losing His Sight - Did you know Ray was born with sight? How did he lose it?
    On His Own - After his parents died, he was really on his own. His start in music.
    Seattle, Washington - Why did he move all the way to Seattle?
    First Record Contract - Recording his first records in the late Forties.
    Atlantic Records - He hits the big time with a major label.
    "What'd I Say" - The first big crossover record that put him on the Pop charts to stay.
    "Georgia On My Mind" - Probably the most famous song of his career.
    Making Country His Own - Why did Ray decide to sing country songs and how did that affect his career?
    Third Strike - fighting a battle with drugs for some 20 years life, he finally hits bottom.
    "America the Beautiful" - Nobody does this beautiful song the way Ray does it.
    The Eighties - As music tastes change, how does Ray change to keep himself current?
    The Nineties - Continuing to re-invent himself.
    Marriages & Children - How many wives and how many children did Ray really have?
    The End of a Fascinating Life - His death in 2004.
    Legacy of Ray Charles - Highlights of accomplishments and awards he received throughout his life.
    Afterword - My closing thoughts.
    Discography - A list of the major works by Ray Charles.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJames Hoag
    Release dateMay 23, 2016
    ISBN9781311660381
    Legends of Soul: Ray Charles
    Author

    James Hoag

    James Hoag has always been a big fan of Rock & Roll. Most people graduate from high school and then proceed to "grow up" and go on to more adult types of music. James got stuck at about age 18 and has been an avid fan of popular music ever since. His favorite music is from the Fifties, the origin of Rock & Roll and which was the era in which James grew up. But he likes almost all types of popular music including country music.After working his entire life as a computer programmer, he is now retired and he decided to share his love of the music and of the performers by writing books that discuss the life and music of the various people who have meant so much to him over the years.He calls each book a "love letter" to the stars that have enriched our lives so much. These people are truly Legends.

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      Book preview

      Legends of Soul - James Hoag

      Legends of Soul – Ray Charles

      By

      James Hoag

      ~~~

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright © 2012 by James Hoag

      Discover other titles by James Hoag at Smashwords.com

      Cover by James Hoag

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Publishers Notes

      Disclaimer

      Legends of Soul – Ray Charles Copyright 2012 James Hoag.

      All rights reserved.

      No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher. The only exception is for a reviewer. A reviewer may quote brief passages in a review.

      Published by

      www.number1project.com

      Monument Marketing Publishing LTD.,

      53 Hanover Dr., Orem, Utah 84058

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      The Early Years

      Losing His Sight

      On His Own

      Seattle, Washington

      First Record Contract

      Atlantic Records

      What’d I Say

      Georgia On My Mind

      Making Country Music His Own

      Third Strike

      America the Beautiful

      The Eighties

      The Nineties

      Marriages & Children

      The End of a Fascinating Life

      Legacy of Ray Charles

      Afterword

      Selected Discography

      About the Author

      Introduction

      Ever since I started this journey of writing tributes to my favorite singers in the world of rock and roll and soul, I have wanted to write about Ray Charles. He has been written about by better writers than me, but I feel a special connection to Ray. I really wanted to pay tribute to him, especially now that he has left us.

      The second date I had with my wife before we were married, we went to a Ray Charles concert. He was playing with the Utah Symphony. It was a wonderful evening as he played and sang his hits with a full orchestra behind him. My wife later told me that one of the reasons she agreed to marry me was that I was a Ray Charles fan. She loved him as well.

      I have grown up with Ray Charles. He had his first hits in the Fifties when I was going to high school and I have followed him as he has touched many different genres of music. He started out in gospel, rhythm and blues and then literally invented soul. Some of his records could be called rock and roll and he has even done some country songs, with his buddy Willie Nelson. Ray Charles has done it all.

      The Early Years

      Ray Charles was born Ray Charles Robinson on September 30, 1930 in the rural town of Albany, Georgia. Albany is about 185 miles south of Atlanta. I looked at the web site for the town of Albany and there was Ray’s picture, so they are proud of their son of Albany. His

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