Person
Ray Charles
Albany, Georgia, USA
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul mu…
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Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.” Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley. I don't know if Ray was the architect of rock & roll, but he was certainly the first guy to do a lot of things . . . Who the hell ever put so many styles together and made it work?"
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
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2025
Quincy Jones, Music Man
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2025
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2025
Merci Dorothée !
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2024
CATFISH
Movie Music
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2024
The Greatest Night in Pop
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2023
They All Came Out to Montreux
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2023
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2023
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
Movie Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
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2022
Piano Greats at the BBC
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2022
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2022
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2022
Rat Pack
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2021
Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
Movie Self (archival footage)
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2014
Face of Unity
Movie Self
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2013
Cachitos de hierro y cromo
TV show Self (archive footage)
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2012
Jazzline - Ray Charles & Orchestra
Movie Self
More credits
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2011
Ray Charles - Live in France 1961
Movie Self
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2009
O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2008
Ray Charles: Live At Montreux 1997
Movie Self
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2008
Jazz Evolution
Movie Self - Piano, Vocals
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2008
Ray Charles: The Legend Lives On
Movie Self
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2007
Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built
Movie Self
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2007
Rolling With the Blues
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2007
Fats Domino: Walking to New Orleans
Movie Self
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2007
Fats and Friends
Movie Self
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2007
Glen Campbell | Good Times Again
Movie Self
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2006
Ray Charles: Live at the Olympia
Movie Self
- 2006
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2006
Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special: 1976
Movie Self
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2005
The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2005
Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music
TV show Self
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2004
Ray Charles: O-Genio - Live In Brazil 1963
Movie Self
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2004
Ray Charles: Soul of the Holy Land
Movie Self
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2004
Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company
Movie Self
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2004
Tom Dowd & The Language of Music
Movie Self
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2004
Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2004
Rockin' Pianos
Movie Self
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2004
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2003
Piano Blues
Movie Self
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2003
The Blues
TV show Self
