People
Ray Charles
Acting · follow into films and chains
Biography
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?"
Notable films
Where to start
Highlights from credits and KinoChain journeys.
The Blues Brothers
As Ray
Spy Hard
As Busdriver
The Greatest Night in Pop
As Self (archive footage)
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
As Self
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
As Self
Piano Blues
As Self
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
As Self (archive footage)
The World of Jim Henson
As Self (archive footage)
Chains
KinoChain journeys
Public chains that pass through their films — or name them as a bridge.
No public chains feature this person yet.
Related people
Collaborators & neighbours
Acted
The Greatest Night in Pop
2024 · Self (archive footage)
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004 · Self (archive footage)
Piano Blues
2003 · Self
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
2001 · Self
Spy Hard
1996 · Busdriver
The World of Jim Henson
1994 · Self (archive footage)
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
1985 · Self
The Blues Brothers
1980 · Ray