IndexIntroductionBodyConclusionIntroductionRay Charles was a multi-musical icon of the twentieth century. Although he was a very successful musician, he endured many hardships as a young boy. He lost many family members at a young age and became completely blind at the age of seven. Charles used music as a coping mechanism for his early struggles, more specifically his piano skills. Ray Charles overcame adversity as a blind musician, former drug addict, and African American male in the late 1900s. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayBodyRay Charles was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia. Ray Charles did not experience the childhood that many people dream of. He had to face many difficulties and obstacles to become an accomplished and successful singer and pianist. During his childhood years, Ray experienced many traumatizing deaths. At the age of five he lost his younger brother, who drowned in a wash house. At the age of ten he lost his father, soon followed by his mother at the age of fifteen. Ray Charles did not live a rich life; in fact, his parents were poor, which meant they couldn't afford to receive medical care. When he was five years old, shortly after his brother's death, Ray was diagnosed with degenerative eye glaucoma. Because his parents were so poor, they couldn't afford treatment. His condition eventually led to complete blindness at the age of seven. After Ray lost all of his siblings and parents, he began to rely on himself and his music. His mother always told him, “You may not be able to do things like a person who can see. But there are always two ways to do everything. You just have to find the other way (Gale 1).” This statement would later inspire him to overcome adversity and become one of the most important piano singers of the 1950s and for the rest of his career. After the death of Charles' mother, Charles began to travel. He had adapted to the blindness that struck him eight years earlier. At the age of fifteen, Charles took part in the “Chitlin Circuit” in the South (Ray, 1). A year later, Charles moved from Greenville, Florida to Seattle, where his music career would eventually take off. He began performing with several musical groups and originally took most of his musical influence from Charles Brown and Nat King Cole. He idealized both men, as they had distinctive musical styles. Indeed, Charles' original sound would be influenced by these two, along with many other musicians and musical factors. Around the age of nineteen, Charles released his first song "Confession Blues" accompanied by the Maxin Trio. This was Charles' first single and it did surprisingly well. Additionally, years later, Charles released several other singles that would also be featured on the popular R&B music charts. Despite his blindness, Charles' career began to take off and the public loved him. At the age of twenty, Charles reached number one on the charts with his hit single "I Got a Woman" (Ray 2). After the release of this single, the idea of ​​its mixed music model started to become very popular during that time. This new model was known as "Soul Music". Ray Charles, born in the 1930s, grew up in a racially segregated world. Charles would have to overcome adversity to achieve his dreams. Ray Charles is best known for valorizing the cultural practices of African Americans. He used these practices in the making of his songs and in his performances. Charles' musical heritage consisted of various styles including gospel, blues,”.