Ray Charles

1. Ray Charles Eddie F. and Jaden C. Mrs. Hart 4th grade

2. Early Life And Family • Ray was born September 23, 1930 in Georgia. • Ray started playing piano when he was age 4. • Mr. Wylie Pitman taught Ray to play the piano. • Ray’s mom wanted him to know lots of religions. • Ray started to go blind when he was five years old. • Ray had a daughter named Evelyn. • Evelyn was born in Tampa, Florida in 1950. • In 1955, Ray Jr. was born. • Ray’s mom died when she was 32 years old. • Ray’s brother died when he was 4 years old. • Ray died June 10, 2004.

3. Education • In 1937, Ray went to a school for the blind called St. Augustine. • The school was 160 miles away from his home. • Ray went on a train to St. Augustine. • Ray cried most of the way. • Kids teased Ray because Ray was blind. • Ray liked to run the schoolyard. • There were three pianos at Ray’s school.

4. Interests/Hobbies • Ray liked to play in the woods with his brother, George. • Listening to the radio. • Playing the piano • Singing

5. Problems/Obstacles • Ray was blind so it made it hard to walk, perform and see how many people came to his concerts.

6. Why Ray Is Famous • Ray is famous because he was a blind performer who didn’t use a cane or a trained dog. He found a way to get around on his own and play the piano and sing. • Ray is also famous because he wrote all sorts of different music.

7. Interesting Facts • Ray wrote 600 songs. • When Ray was a kid, he chopped down trees. • At his school he went to a music class. • In 1946, Ray got an offer to play some gigs in Orlando. • Sometimes Ray went days without food. • Ray always asked to be paid in single dollar bills so he could not get tricked in his payment. • Ray died in 2004.

8. Bibliography • Beyer, Mark. Ray Charles. New York, NY: Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. Print. • "Ray Charles." Fact Monster. n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. <http://www.fact monster.com>.