(September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004)

Ray Charles Robinson, known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles,
was a pioneer musician in the soul music genre during the 1950s. He style
fused jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the
only true genius in sow business.” Rolling Stone ranked Ray Charles number
10 on their list of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” in 2004, and number two
on the magazines November 2008 list.