Life and Music of Ray Charles Essay

Ray Charles was born on Sept. 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, and grew up in Greenville, Florida. At the young age of five, he began losing his sight, and became completely blind by the time he was seven. However, this did not hinder Ray Charles at all, as he continued to persevere in developing his musical talents. One of the most unique aspects of Ray Charles was his unparalleled ability to crossover different genres of music. He mixed together genres such as blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, pop, and even country. With this integration, he created smash hits such as “I Got a Woman,” “Hit the Road Jack,” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” When a listener listens close enough to one of Charles’ songs, aspects of the various styles he incorporated can be heard not only through the way the lyrics are

Many things influenced him as an artist. Mel started his career as a young child and at the time when he was on radio the great depression was going on, this didn’t effect him to much he was getting jobs as a young child. There are no records of him having a hard childhood or being worried about food or money, there was opportunities for him and he took them. But Mel did have trouble traveling as stated in his book “It Wasn’t Always Velvet,” He would get asked to open for people yet get paid significantly less then he was suppose

If one was to go out into the street, walked up to a random stranger and asked them if they knew who Louis Armstrong was, chances are that they would be able to answer you correctly. Louis Armstrong (Aug 4th, 1901 - Jul 6th, 1971) was an American trumpeter, composer, singer and occasional actor who became one of the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned many decades, from the 1920s to his death in 1971, and many different eras in jazz. He first came to prominence in the 1920s as a trumpeter and cornet player with no technique as well as being very skilled in scat singing, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, influencing many later jazz artists as well as shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance.With his very well-known and recognizable gravelly voice, a technique that was later named “crooning”, Armstrong was an incredibly influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser by bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes on demand. Renowned for his charming and incredibly charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet and/or cornet playing, Armstrong 's influence extends far beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the early 1970s at his death, he was widely regarded as a deep and profound influence on popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first very popular

According to biography.com, Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was born into a poor section of New Orleans, which was nicknamed “The Battlefield.” Louis Armstrong had a tough childhood when he was growing up, his father was a factory worker that had left Louis Armstrong’s family after he was soon to be born. Louis Armstrong’s mom was a prostitute and she often left him at his maternal grandmother’s house. Armstrong had to quit school in the fifth grade because he needed to begin work to support himself. A

what he became and did not let anything get in the way of becoming a musician. In this

Raymell Mourice Rice was born on January 22nd, 1987. He was born to Calvin Reed and Janet Rice. When he was just one year old, his father was killed in a drive-by shooting of the wrong person. His cousin Shaun, who was like a father figure to Rice, was killed in an accident by a drunk

Elvis Presley was born on January 8th, 1935 to Vernon and Gladys Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi. He had a twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, who was stillborn. Elvis and his mother, Gladys, had a very close relationship. Gladys quit her job so she could spend time with Elvis, and took him everywhere she went. Because of the death of Elvis’ brother, Jesse, Gladys became very protective of Elvis. At the age of two, at the newly built Assembly of God church, Elvis sang his first performance, showing the first signs of his performing instincts. Elvis and his mother went to church

Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901 to Mayanne and William Armstrong. His father abandoned his family during Louis' infancy. Louis spent the first years of his life with his grandmother, Josephine Armstrong. After age five, Louis moved back with his mother and his sister, "Mama Lucy." The family was forced to live in stark poverty. Louis got into some trouble when he was just 12 years old and was placed in the Waif's Home for Boys. It was there that he first received musical instruction and learned to play the coronet. He was released from the Waif's Home in June of 1914. He worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. Joe Oliver, one of the finest

Louis was born into a poor family on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, louisiana. He was the grandson of a slave spending his childhood in poverty in a rough neighborhood that was called the battlefield. His dad William Armstrong had abandoned the family when louis was young to be with another women. Then his mother Mayann left him and his sister Beatrice in the care of Josephine, which was his grandmother.

Howard Cosell, a legendary commentator, spoke words about this legendary man that more or less sums up his legendary career. He said "Frank Sinatra, who has the phrasing, who has the control, who understands the composers, who knows what losing means as so many have, who made the great comeback, who stands still, enduringly, on top of the entertainment world. Ladies and gentlemen, from here on in it's Frank Sinatra!" Frank Sinatra, the only singer in history to have hit records in five consecutive decades, led a lot more distinctive life than people were led to believe.

Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana which is famously known as the birth place of jazz. Armstrong was born into a very poor family in a rough area in New Orleans. His father was a factory worker who abandoned the family soon after Armstrong was born. Consequently, he was raised by his

Louis Armstrong, one of the most influential figures in jazz music, enjoyed a career that spans across 50 years, and through different eras of jazz. Nicknamed” Satchmo”, “Pops”, and” Ambassador Satch”, Armstrong could do it all, he sang, occasionally acted, composed music, but was most famous for his cornet and trumpet playing. Although Armstrong is well known for his amazing trumpet play, he also influenced the direction that jazz music during his time was headed. Over the course of this paper I will concisely go over his early life, and focus more on his music career.

Ray Lewis was born on Bartow, Florida on May 15, 1975. Elbert Ray Jackson was his father and was largely absent during his son’s childhood. As a boy, Ray Lewis was the oldest and soon became the man of the house. Ray used to do his sister’s hair. He used to take his brothers to daycare every single day.

     Jazz is a style of music that began and has been revolutionized within the United States. Jazz music first appeared in the city of New Orleans and eventually moved onto Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, and New York City. Jazz unites different elements of African, African- American, religious, brass brand, and blues style of music. The music of Jazz, and its changes through the years, is now a form of music that is known and respected throughout this nation and the world.

Marvin Gaye grew up surrounded by the art of music. Born in the nations capital on April 2, 1939, Gaye’s ageless sounds and intriguing vocals still influence the world today. Gaye’s father, a minister in the Apostolic Church, played a foremost role in Marvin’s musical education. In fact, most of Marvin’s inspiration for religious topics came from the church music he grew up singing. Through the art of song, musical icon Marvin Gaye uses pathos, symbolism, and imagery with an objective to connect to listeners on tremendously personal levels.