Ray Charles Robinson, known by his stage name Ray Charles, was an American pianist and musician who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues. He brought a soulful sound to country music, pop standards, and a rendition of "America the Beautiful" that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the "definitive version of the song, an American anthem — a classic, just as the man who sung it." Ray Charles a consummate performer and showman, an innovative singer and pianist whose combinations of blues and gospel earned him the nickname The Genius. Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company. Song list: Drown In My Own Tears, Georgia On My Mind, Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I), Hallelujah I Love Her So, I Believe To My Soul, I Can't Stop Loving You, Let's Go Get Stoned, Lonely Avenue, Shake A Tail Feather, A Song For You, Take These Chains From My Heart, Unchain My Heart, What'D I Say, Sticks And Stones.

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