THE US: Ray Charles, the blind singer and entertainer who defied musical categories and produced a string of hits such as What'd I Say, Georgia On My Mind, and Hit The Road, Jack, died yesterday in Beverley Hills at the age of 73. Julian Borger reports from Washington
Charles was born in poverty in Florida, where he had a traumatic childhood. He witnessed his brother's accidental death and went blind from glaucoma at the age of seven.
He was raised by his mother, who died when he was in his teens. He discovered his prodigious musical talent at a school for the blind, and made a living travelling around the country imitating other artists.
He could play the piano and saxophone, and he dipped into just about every musical tradition, including jazz, big band and blues.
He teamed up with legendary producer Quincy Jones and cut his first recording, Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand, in Los Angeles in 1951. He quickly became more experimental, fusing gospel music with jazz and rhythm and blues fragments, his performances delivered with a trademark gravel voice and distinctive piano technique.
After an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival he achieved mainstream success with The Right Time and his signature song, What'd I Say. His career blossomed in the 1960s, but it was interrupted with a one-year jail sentence for heroin possession. After gaining his freedom, Charles defiantly released Ashford and Simpson's Let's Go Get Stoned.
Since the 1960s, his releases have been hit-or-miss, with some critically acclaimed work such as Georgia On My Mind. His last public appearance was on April 30th.