Ray Charles
Known for: Acting
Born: September 23, 1930
Died: June 10, 2004
Place of birth: 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 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?"
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Filmography
87 movies · 40 TV shows, newest first
9.0
Quincy Jones, Music Man
2025
7.7
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
2025
7.2
Merci Dorothée !
2025
10.0
CATFISH
2024
7.9
The Greatest Night in Pop
20247.0
They All Came Out to Montreux
2023
6.9
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
2023
8.3
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
20237.7
Piano Greats at the BBC
2022
8.2
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2022
6.7
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
2022
9.0
Rat Pack
2022
7.3
Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
2021
NR
Face of Unity
2014
7.7
Cachitos de hierro y cromo
2013NR
Jazzline - Ray Charles & Orchestra
2012
7.2
Ray Charles - Live in France 1961
2011
NR
O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar
2009
6.9
Ray Charles: Live At Montreux 1997
2008
6.0
Jazz Evolution
2008
NR
Ray Charles: The Legend Lives On
2008
7.0
Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built
2007
NR
Rolling With the Blues
2007
9.0
Glen Campbell | Good Times Again
2007
7.0
Fats Domino: Walking to New Orleans
2007
9.0
Fats and Friends
2007
NR
Ray Charles: Live at the Olympia
2006
NR
Ray Charles with the Voices of Jubilation Choir
2006
NR
Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special: 1976
2006
NR
The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music
2005
8.0
Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music
2005
4.2
Ray Charles: O-Genio - Live In Brazil 1963
2004
7.0
Ray Charles: Soul of the Holy Land
2004NR
Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company
2004
7.4
Tom Dowd & The Language of Music
2004
7.0
Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues
2004
NR
Rockin' Pianos
2004
5.3
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004
6.5
Piano Blues
2003
7.4
The Blues
2003
9.0
Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin'
2003
8.5
The Willie Nelson Special - With Special Guest Ray Charles
2002
8.0
CMT Crossroads
2002
NR
Ray Charles: Live: Montreux Jazz Festival
2002
8.0
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
2001
5.7
Star Academy
2001
NR
Ray Charles - In Concert
2001
NR
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
2001
NR
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
2001
8.3
Blue's Big Musical Movie
2000
NR
Quincy Jones... The First 50 Years
1998NR
Saturday Live
1996
5.4
Spy Hard
1996
NR
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
1995
7.4
The World of Jim Henson
1994
5.5
Love Affair
1994
7.0
Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
1994
10.0
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
1994
8.1
The Nanny
1993
7.0
Sesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration
1993
6.8
The John Larroquette Show
1993
8.0
Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O
1993
NR
Montreux Jazz Festival 1991
1991
6.8
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
1990
8.0
Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones
1990
6.8
Wings
1990
4.5
Limit Up
1989
7.3
Sesame Street: 20 Years & Still Counting! 1969-1989
1989
9.0
Legends of Rock 'n' Roll
1989
8.0
Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration
1988
5.0
Téléthon
1987
6.6
Super Dave
1987
NR
Le monde est à vous
1987
5.7
Sacrée soirée
1987
NR
The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together - A Celebration In Waikiki
1987NR
Billy Joel: Building the Bridge
1986
6.1
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
1986
3.3
Victoires de la musique
1985
6.9
The Statue of Liberty
1985
7.5
Moonlighting
1985
8.3
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
1985
7.4
Who's the Boss?
1984NR
Salute to Lady Liberty
1984
NR
I Love Quincy
1984NR
Ray Charles: A Man & His Soul
1983NR
Hallelujah Gospel
1983
5.7
St. Elsewhere
1982
6.8
Champs-Elysées
1982
9.0
Lynda Carter's Celebration
1981
7.0
Ray Charles Live - In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony
1981
6.0
Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters
1980
NR
John Schneider: Back Home
1980NR
Ray Charles At The North Sea Jazz Festival
1980
7.7
The Blues Brothers
1980
6.0
Ray Charles: Angels Keep Watching Over Me
1979
7.4
The Kennedy Center Honors
1978
7.0
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
1978
7.0
The Second Barry Manilow Special
19789.0
Bio’s Bahnhof
1978
NR
The Beatles Forever
1977
6.9
Saturday Night Live
1975
7.0
Cher
1975
9.0
The Smothers Brothers Show
1975
8.2
Barbra Streisand... and Other Musical Instruments
1973
8.0
Musikladen
1972
8.1
The Midnight Special
1972
4.8
The Flip Wilson Show
1970
6.5
The Johnny Cash Show
1969
6.8
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
1969NR
Unsere kleine Show - Musik zur blauen Stunde
1969
9.5
Albert, the Rockefeller
1968
7.0
Ray Charles - La Salle Pleyel, Paris
1968
6.8
The Dick Cavett Show
1968
7.7
The Carol Burnett Show
1967
7.7
In the Heat of the Night
1967
8.5
The Big T.N.T. Show
1965
7.0
Ballad in Blue
1965
6.4
Shindig!
1964
5.0
The Hollywood Palace
1964
7.5
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
6.4
Cosmic Ray
1962
5.8
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
6.0
Swingin' Along
1961
5.4
Kraft Music Hall
1958
6.4
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
6.8
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948NR
Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer
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