American singer, songwriter, and pianist Ray Charles Robinson Sr. He was frequently referred to by his contemporaries as "The Genius" and is recognised as one of the most recognisable and influential singers in history. He favoured the moniker "Brother Ray" when referring to friends and other musicians. Early in life, Charles lost his vision.

In the 1950s, Charles created the genre of soul music by fusing gospel music with blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and other musical genres. With his crossover success on ABC Records, particularly with his two Modern Sounds albums, he helped to integrate country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s. Charles was one of the first black performers to receive artistic control from a major record label while he was with ABC.