Ray Charles (Ray Charles Robinson, Albany, Georgia, September 23, 1930 - Beverly Hills, California, June 10, 2004), was an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger and band leader. As a rock and roll, rhythm & blues, soul, blues, jazz, country and pop musician he helped to shape the sound of rhythm & blues. He brought a soulful sound to everything from country music ("
I Can't Stop Loving You") to rock and roll ("
Mess Around"), to pop standards to a now-iconic rendition of "
America The Beautiful."
Frank Sinatra called him "the only genius in the business."