Transcript Ray Charles - Marcellus High School

Ray Charles
Eddie F. and Jaden C.
Mrs. Hart
4th grade
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.

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.
Interests/Hobbies




Ray liked to play in the woods with his brother,
George.
Listening to the radio.
Playing the piano
Singing
Problems/Obstacles

Ray was blind so it made it hard to
walk, perform and see how many
people came to his concerts.
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.

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.
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>.
