Ray Charles
 Famed R&B pianist Ray
Charles was born Ray Charles Robinson in Albany, Ga. on September
23, 1930, at the height of the Depression. During his early years,
Charles' impoverished family traveled throughout the Southeast
in search of work, but when he was four Charles' vision began to deteriorate.
By age seven he was blind, assigned to a special school in St. Augustine,
Fla. where he studied music and math. At age 16 Charles left school
to become a professional musician, playing wherever he could, struggling
to survive. One day, fed up with Florida, he decided to travel as
far away as possible and relocated to Seattle, Wash. In Seattle, Charles
became a popular local talent, forming a Nat King Cole-inspired group
in the late 1940s called the McSon Trio, with fellow musicians Gossady
McGee and Milt Jarret.
1.impoverished: adj. 穷困的, 无力的,用尽了的
2.deteriorate: v. (使)恶化
During the reign of boxer "Sugar" Ray Robinson, Ray Charles Robinson
shortened his name to Ray Charles to avoid confusing fans, but continued
cutting records and performing throughout America, scoring his first
minor hit with 1951's "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand." The following
year Charles signed to Atlantic Records and produced his first big
hit with 1955's "I Got A Woman." Over the next few years Charles
built a national following with his soulful voice and keyboard prowess,
frequently collaborating with friend Quincy Jones as well as various
jazz musicians.
After signing to ABC in 1959, Charles' career took off. He became
one of the top pop/R&B performers in North America, releasing
No. 1 hits like "George" and "Born to Lose." In 1961 he formed his
first big band, and later started his own recording studio, RPM.
Charles freely switched between R&B, jazz, country and rock,
demonstrating his musical versatility while winning over new fans.
During the Civil Rights movement, Charles was a friend of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., and participated in many civil rights marches.
Despite his advancing age, Charles' talent remained undiminished,
and he continued churning out records throughout the '60s,
'70s, and '80s; today he is as popular as ever, performing to audiences
worldwide.
1.undiminished: adj. 没有减少的
2.churn: n. 搅乳器 v. 搅拌, 搅动
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