by Sandra Brennan
biography
One of the father's of contemporary soul, Ray Charles has become an American musical institution. Born Ray Charles Robinson in a small Georgia town, Charles contacted glaucoma at the age of six and lost his sight, but this has not stopped him from launching an active and productive career that has continued through the 1990s and on. He has often appeared in music documentaries and has performed in feature films, where he usually appears as himself. He has also been on television, either hosting his own specials, or acting as a guest artist on those of others.
