Ray Charles - American Musical Legend Quiz

Answer: No

Indeed not. Rather, he was born Ray Charles Robinson to Aretha and Baily Robinson, but ultimately shortened his name to Ray Charles in deference to the great boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. He was the oldest child and saw much tragedy during his youth. His younger brother drowned in a bathtub accident, while his mother passed away tragically when Ray was only 15 years old.

Answer: No

Again, no. Ray suffered from glaucoma as a child, and completely lost his ability to see by the tender age of seven years old. Sadly, his family was so impoverished that they had no recourse to treatment for young Ray.

Answer: St. Augustine

It was at the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and Blind that Ray learned to read and write Braille and learned to play a number of musical instruments. Ray would write music using Braille during his musical career.

Answer: Seattle

It was in Seattle where Ray would first become a celebrity, albeit a local one. He took under his wing a young trumpet player named Quincy Jones while living in the Pacific northwest; the two became lifelong friends.

Answer: McSon Trio

With guitarist Gosady McGee and bassist Milton Garred, Ray formed the McSon Trio (a play on the names McGee and Robinson) and formally began his music career. They would record an album called 'Confession Blues' in 1949, Ray's first recording. The short-lived band would later change its name to the Maxine Trio. Their first album rose to the #2 position on the national R&B charts.

Answer: Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand

Ray's first album was recorded on the Downbeat Label, while his early 1950s hits were recorded on Swingtime Records. Ray made the Swingtime recordings in Los Angeles, where he had moved by 1950.

Answer: Atlantic

Ray would continue to record with Atlantic Records until 1960, churning out over 20 hits on the R&B charts. In 1960 he would sign with the ABC-Paramount label, ending his relationship with Atlantic Records.

Answer: The Genius

From the time he studied in St. Augustine's it was recognized that Ray had great musical talents. When he began to discover the relationship between mathematics and music the people around him began to refer to him as 'The Genius'. The nickname stuck with Ray as he developed a talent for combining musical genres and creating an almost mathematical fusion between the different forms of popular music.

Answer: I've Got a Woman

'I've Got a Woman' was quickly followed to number one by another 1955 hit 'A Fool for You'. Ray's fourth number one hit on the R&B chart, the 1959 hit 'What'd I Say', was his first to break into the top ten of the Billboard pop chart.

Answer: Georgia on My Mind

As mentioned above, 'What'd I Say' broke into the pop top ten in 1959, but only reached number six. In November of 1960, 'Georgia on My Mind' became Ray's first number one hit on the Billboard pop chart. The other two songs mentioned, 'Hit the Road Jack' and 'You are My Sunshine' were also number one hits later in the 1960s.

Answer: 1961

Ray Charles won four of his twelve total Grammy Awards in the year 1961, mostly for his vocal performances on the single 'Georgia on My Mind' and the album 'The Genius of Ray Charles'. (Obviously, Ray had happily accepted his 'Genius' nickname!)

Answer: True

Indeed, Ray was eclectic. His hits spanned the charts from country to jazz and from R&B to pop. Some people call Ray Charles the father of soul music, but his contribution to nearly every musical genre has been significant. Ray's crossover into country music began in 1962 with the release of the number one hit 'I Can't Stop Loving You'.

Answer: Shake Your Tailfeather

Ray plays an owner of a seedy music store called 'Ray's Music Exchange' (his character's name is Ray as well). Alongside Ray, other performers in the film include John Lee Hooker, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and the Blues Brothers themselves. Wow!

Answer: In 1967 Ray was awarded an Oscar for Best Song for the film 'In The Heat of the Night'

Ray Charles was never nominated for an Oscar and rarely worked on music for films. He was nominated three times for Emmy Awards, but failed to win each time. Ray inducted into the following halls of fame during his lifetime: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame, the Songwriters' Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Jazz Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, and the Playboy Hall of Fame. Ray also indeed has a star on Hollywood Blvd.

Answer: True

In 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened with the following charter inductees: Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Little Richard.