Ray Charles: Soul Legend Behind Georgia on My Mind Dies at 73

Ray Charles was an American singer, pianist and composer who helped invent soul music. Born Ray Charles Robinson on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, he lost his sight to glaucoma by age seven.

Charles blended gospel, blues and jazz on hits including "What'd I Say," "Hit the Road Jack," "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Can't Stop Loving You." His 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music brought country songs to a wide audience. He won 17 Grammy Awards and was an inaugural inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

In 1961 he refused to play a segregated concert in Georgia, and the state later apologized and made "Georgia on My Mind" its state song. Charles had 12 children. He died at his home in Beverly Hills on June 10, 2004, at age 73, of liver disease. The film Ray (2004) won Jamie Foxx an Oscar.

Achievements: 17 Grammy Awards, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), Kennedy Center Honors (1986).

Birth: September 23, 1930 - Albany, Georgia.

Profession: Singer, pianist and composer.

Interesting Facts: He never let blindness stop him from arranging his own music and leading his band.