Timeline

"September 23, 1930 - Born Ray Charles Robinson in Albany, GA.

1937 - Living in Greenville, FL, is stricken with glaucoma, which results in blindness.

October, 1937 - Enrolls in Florida's State School for Deaf where he studies composition, classical piano, organ, trumpet, alto sax and clarinet.

1946 - Begins his professional career playing with local bands around Jacksonville, FL.

1948 - Moves to Seattle, WA and using the stage name R.C. Robinson, forms light jazz and blues combo The Maxim Trio.

1949 - Changes his professional name to Ray Charles and releases his first single, the self-penned "Confession." Several singles follow on the Swingtime Record label.

1951 - Enters the R&B charts for the first time with "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand."

1952 - New York-based Atlantic Records purchases Charles' Swingtime contract for $2,500. His Atlantic debut single, "Roll With Me Baby" is released.

1954 - Arranges and plays piano on Guitar Slim's R&B smash, "The Things I Used to Do".

1954 - Records his first hit, "It Should Have Been Me," the song reaches #7 on the R&B chart.

1957 - His debut album, Ray Charles is released. The single "Swanee River Rock (Talkin' 'Bout That River") becomes his first crossover hit, reaching #34 on the pop charts.

July, 1958 - Makes a triumphant appearance at the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival, cementing his reputation as an incendiary performer and rising star.

August, 1959 - Releases the revolutionary, mega-hit "What'd I Say" - It hits R&B #1 and #6 on the pop charts and becomes one his signature tunes.

November, 1959 - "Georgia on My Mind" lands at #1 on the singles chart and its accompanying concept album, The Genius Hits The Road becomes his first Top 10 pop album.

March, 1960 - Legendary album, The Genius of Ray Charles hits #17 on the album charts.

November, 1960 - "Georgia on My Mind" lands at #1 on the singles chart and its accompanying concept album, The Genius Hits The Road becomes his first Top 10 pop album.

April, 1961 - Takes home 4 Grammy Awards. Including two for "Georgia On My Mind," and one each for The Genius Of Ray Charles and "Let The Good Times Roll".

May, 1961 - The instrumental "One Mint Julep" showcases Charles' jazz chops and becomes another Top 10 hit. The groundbreaking soul-jazz album Genius + Soul = Jazz makes it to #4.

October, 1961 - One of his career-defining anthems, "Hit The Road Jack" zooms to #1 on the pop charts.

1962 - Forms Ray Charles Enterprises, which includes Tangerine Records, Tangerine Music and Racer Music Company.

1962 - Appears in the 20th Century Fox film, "Swingin' Along".

January, 1962 - The raucous single "Unchain My Heart" becomes another Top 10 smash.

June, 1962 - Breaks new ground with the crossover album Modern Sounds in Country And Western Music. Drawing on Country music material, it stays at #1 on the charts for 3 ½ months and includes the smashes "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "You Don't Know Me".

1963 - Opens his own business headquarters/recording studio, RPM International, in Los Angeles.

May, 1963 - "I Can't Stop Loving You," wins the Grammy for Best R&B Recording for 1962.

October, 1963 - Propelled by a brassy Big Band horn arrangement, "Busted" reaches #4 on the pop charts and grabs the Grammy for Best R&B Recording for 1963.
1965 - Stars as himself in the Paul Henreid-directed feature film Blues For Lovers (aka Ballad in Blue).

1966 - Feb - The moving ballad "Crying Time" peaks at #6 on the pop charts.

July, 1966 - "Let's Go Get Stoned" becomes another classic and is the first release on his own Tangerine Records/ABC imprint.

March, 1967 - "Crying Time" is selected Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance and Best R&B Recording for 1966.

September, 1967 - His soulful theme song to the classic film In The Heat Night becomes another memorable hit.

December, 1967 - His powerful cover-version of the Beatles' "Yesterday" reaches the U.S. Top 25.

1968 - Becomes the youngest member inducted into the Playboy Magazine Jazz Hall of Fame.

July, 1968 - "Eleanor Rigby" becomes his second successful Beatles cover.

June, 1969 - Performs alongside top artists such as Aretha Franklin and the Staple Singers, at the Soul Bowl '69 in Houston, the largest attended soul music concert yet staged.

July, 1971 - Bolstered by the single "Feel So Bad," the acclaimed hit album, Volcanic Action of Soul is released.

1973 -Tangerine Records breaks with ABC Records and it becomes Crossover Records.

1975 - Earns the Golden Plate Award given by the American Academy of Achievement for his outstanding artistic contributions.

1975 - Is presented with The National Association for Sickle Cell Disease's first "Man of Distinction" Award.

1976 - He teams with jazz singer Cleo Laine for a triumphant double album interpretation of Gershwin's Porgy And Bess.

1976 - Is named "Man of the Year" by the Beverly Hills Lodge of the B'nai B'rith.

1976 - Is inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.

1976 - "I Got A Woman" is nominated for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.

1978 - His autobiography "Brother Ray" (written with David Ritz) is published by Dial Press and quickly becomes a national bestseller.

1979 - His legendary rendition of "Georgia On My Mind" is adopted as the official Song of the State of Georgia. The same year he is inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

1980 - Turns in a memorable acting and singing performance in the hit comedy/musical film, "The Blues Brothers."

December, 1981 - Receives a Star on Hollywood Boulevard's "Walk of Fame", honoring both his artistic and humanitarian achievements.

1983 - Is bestowed with the "Hall of Fame Award" at the 1983 NAACP's Image Awards.

1983 - Signs with the Nashville division of CBS/Columbia Records in an effort to focus on country-soul based music.

January, 1985 - Makes a major vocal contribution to USA For Africa's star-studded hungry-relief charity single, "We Are The World."

March, 1985 - Records the ambitious Friendship, an album featuring duets with country music luminaries such as Merle Haggard, George Jones and Willie Nelson.

April, 1985 - "We Are The World" reaches #1 on music charts around the globe, raising millions of dollars to aid African famine.

January, 1986 - Is distinguished as one of the original inductees into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

November, 1986 - Is made a highly prestigious Commander of Fine Arts and Letters, by the French government.

December, 1986 - Becomes the second youngest recipient of the coveted Kennedy Center lifetime achievement award in Washington, D.C.

April, 1987 - Announces the formation of the (Ray Charles) Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders, with a personal endowment of $1 million.

1988 - Is nominated for an Emmy Award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his performance on a TV special honoring Irving Berlin's 100th birthday.

1988 - Appears with the New York City Ballet, (which choreographs dances to some of his classics,) baked by members of his original band including Hank Crawford, Leroy Cooper and David "Fat Head" Newman.

1988 - Lends a voice-over as "Raisin Ray," the first celebrity raisin in the California Raisin Advisory Board's popular series of claymation TV commercials.

1989 - The single "Ellie My Love" reaches #1 in Japan.

1989 - Teams with Chaka Khan on the hit "I'll be Good to You".

1990 - Begins appearing in a series of successful commercials for Diet Pepsi. As a result, Advertising Age names him as its Star Presenter of 1990. He also earns a 1990 Clio Award as Best Male Performer.

April, 1990 - Receives an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

1991 - Fox Television Network airs "50 Years of Music Making: A Tribute to Ray Charles", featuring performers such as Willie Nelson, and Stevie Wonder.

1991 - The acclaimed documentary, "Ray Charles: The Genius of Soul", airs on public television as part of the American Masters series.

1992 - February - Is honored by the County Board of Supervisors as the 1992 Black History Month honoree, and is presented with Los Angeles County's Distinguished Service Medal in recognition of his "outstanding contributions."

February, 1992 - Is inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.

March, 1993 - Releases the hit album My World, featuring an inspired take Leon Russell's ballad "A Song For You".

October, 1993 - Receives the National Medal of Arts presented by ardent admirer, President Bill Clinton in Washington, D.C.

March, 1994 - Wins his 12th Grammy Award in "The Best R&B Vocal by a Male Performer" category for "A Song For You".

March, 1994 - Earns a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the Black Achievement Awards television show.

May, 1994 - Receives the Helen Keller Personal Achievement Award from the American Foundation for the Blind.

June, 1995 - Is honored with the Horatio Alger Award given to distinguished American citizens who have succeeded despite adversity.

October, 1995 - Is given the Governor's Performing Arts Award.

May, 1996 - Receives an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Performing Arts from Occidental College.

April, 2004 - RPM Studios is dedicated as an historic Los Angeles landmark.

June 10, 2004 - Passes away at age 73 in Beverly Hills, CA.

August, 2004 - The posthumous Genius Loves Company, an album of duets with superstars including Elton John, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Johnny Mathis and Van Morrison is released. It peaks at #2 on the album charts and quickly goes platinum."

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