Written when the late Ray Charles was 48 years old, BROTHER RAY is an earthy, conversational account of the singer's early life story. Co-author David Ritz does an excellent job of giving Charles's distinctive voice free rein as the pianist recounts his early school years, the onset of his blindness around the age of five (horrifically, one of the last things he witnesses is the drowning of his younger brother), and his refusal to be handicapped by it, and his growing appreciation of and expertise in music. His career ...
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Written when the late Ray Charles was 48 years old, BROTHER RAY is an earthy, conversational account of the singer's early life story. Co-author David Ritz does an excellent job of giving Charles's distinctive voice free rein as the pianist recounts his early school years, the onset of his blindness around the age of five (horrifically, one of the last things he witnesses is the drowning of his younger brother), and his refusal to be handicapped by it, and his growing appreciation of and expertise in music. His career progresses slowly--he himself admits there is no big defining moment of success--but his incorporation of gospel melodies into secular songs is a crucial, if controversial, element in his growing fame. He refuses to play segregated shows, gets sued, and loses, but stubbornly refuses to be cowed by racism. He's candid about his love life, though the sex in BROTHER RAY is more matter-of-fact than salacious: his description of his heroin use and his eventual kicking of the habit after being busted in Boston is equally straightforward. With the bonus of David Ritz's annotated discography, BROTHER RAY is a candid and revealing autobiography of one of the great musical figures of the 20th century.
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