Ray Charles Robinson, for that, was the artist's real name, was born on September 23, 1930 in Albany, Georgia. 1)
He changed his name to avoid being confused with Ray Robinson a famous boxer. 2)
Ray Charles's brother George drowned in their mother's laundry tub when he was four years old. 3)
He lost sight in both eyes when he was seven years old. 4)
In April 1949, he debuted on the charts with the song “Confessin' Blues”. 5)