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Da Capo Press

Brother Ray: Ray Charles' Own Story

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Description

Ray Charles (1930-2004) led one of the most extraordinary lives of any popular musician. In Brother Ray, he tells his story in an inimitable and unsparing voice, from the chronicle of his musical development to his heroin addiction to his tangled romantic life. Overcoming poverty, blindness, the loss of his parents, and the pervasive racism of the era, Ray Charles was acclaimed worldwide as a genius by the age of thirty-two. By combining the influences of gospel, jazz, blues, and country music, he invented, almost single-handedly, what became known as soul. And throughout a career spanning more than a half century, Ray Charles remained in complete control of his life and his music, allowing nobody to tell him what he could and couldn't do.As the Chicago Sun- Times put it, Brother Ray is "candid, explicit, sometimes embarrassing, often hilarious, always warm, touching and deeply human-just like his music." Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press


Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 27, 2004


Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 384 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306814315


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 10


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.96 x 8.5 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #955,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #601 in Vocal & Singing #3,510 in Composer & Musician Biographies #13,469 in Community & Culture Biographies


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • great read
Format: Kindle
God bless this genius!!! Such amazing work he’s done over the years and great storytelling by him and David Ritz
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2026 by No
    • A must for a Ray Charles fan
Format: Paperback
If there is one thing I love, it's an autobiography where the author is not afraid to voice his or her beliefs, actions, opinions, etc in fear of alienating or upsetting people. Brother Ray definitely delivers in that regard. He states his opinions, why he did the things he did and defends them. That I can respect even if I don't agree with the action or opinion. The book doesn't jump around and doesn't get it's dates screwed up like some. That seems to be an issue for some of these bio's. I'm a big fan of Ray Charles and the book told the story from as early as he could remember, all the way up to the time it was written. From life at the school of the blind, to life on the road, just a great read about an extraordinary musician. Ray had his faults, but considering how and the under the conditions he was raised, it's not hard to understand why. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2012 by S. Watkins
    • Ray: Real and Straight Up
Format: Paperback
I originally read this book when it was published in 1978. I re-read it this year. It was just as enjoyable the second time around. It is a gritty portrayal of a man who lived, not with a handicap, but despite a handicap. It does not sugar coat his life, lifetyle, or his outlook. It makes for good reading and is a realistic picture of the man and the musician. I highly recommend it to those who are interested in Ray Charles or any autobiographical study, and as a an accompaniment to the movie "Ray." ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2005 by N. Cox
    • Blunt truth
Format: Paperback
Brilliant autobiography. Ray pulls no punches on himself or anyone else. Some reviewers find his directness and honesty about sexuality and drugs to be disconcerting but that is a fault in them, not the author. Ray tells it like it is and was, love him or not, he's not looking at you for approval anyway. It's a great read told in a compelling voice. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2017 by J. Willis
    • I became friends with a dead musician
Format: Kindle
Brother Ray is one of the best books I ever read. It is full of wisdom and humanity. It is a great introduction to the life of Afroamerican people in the 20th century in many aspects. It tells us how a blind boy has to make a living on his own, how he builds a career, a family. The book is a series of memoirs edited by David Ritz with Ray Charles' own wording (definitely his own). There is some vulgarity, open reflections on sex, women which might not appeal to everyone, however, I agree with all he says. There are some funny stories and several sad ones. I wish I could meet this legend. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2015 by Éva Csipes
    • You want to listen again to this genius.
Format: Paperback
The book is in RC's voice. You get to know him. If you are a fan of his it will bring back a lot of memories in their full strength. You will still marvel at what he did as a blind child and young person and understand bettet how he did it. He had stunning gifts which he thankfull shared fully with us. I loved this book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2021 by Bill France
    • Amazon saved the Day!
Format: Paperback
My granddaughter used it for a book report over the Xmas Holiday. She misplaced the one from the school library, and I purchased this for her to read. I didn't hear any negative comment and she is a very good student. Therefore I would say everythig deserves a five. John
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2014 by John A. Small
    • Different than the movie
I wanted something to listen to while riding in my car. The radio stations here are less to be desired, and it does get a bit boring. I found this book on CD to be interesting, however there are parts of this that I did not like. He spoke excessively about sex, which I needed to pause when riding with my child. I also thought that often he would go on endlessly on one thought, which really was not as interesting as others. It reminds me of someone who is overly interesting in something and speaking about that same detail for about 10 minutes, and you have lost interest, because it is not equally interesting to you. I am grateful for his sharing of life experiences. I saw the movie, and knew there was much more than what the movie told us. I am also the grandchild of one of his biggest fans. It is nice to be given a window into that time. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2016 by Shannon H.

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