Ray Charles may not be a person you know a lot about. You may know more about his songs than the person.He was considered by many to be a genius. Ray Charles was blind, but he became one of the greatest entertainers of all time. How he was able to accomplish so much in his 73 years was incredible. During this virus era, I wanted to do a mosaic of someone authentic, energizing, and truly an original. It is my hope you will be uplifted by this mosaic and his story.
I chose this image to mosaic, because I knew it would present a challenge. Ray played the piano when he sang. and the piano keys are reflected in his glasses. I also loved his smile. When I do a mosaic I am always thinking about, does the mosaic look like the person, the color choices, the texture of the glass and the lines in the glass that help shape the portrait.
Here is a brief history of Ray Charle’s musical life. At the age of five his eyesight started to fail. By the age of seven his eyesight was completely gone. His mother sent him to a school for the deaf and blind in St. Augustine Florida. There he learned to read music in braille as well as to play both classical and jazz piano. Ray was a gifted musician that learned quickly. At the age of fifteen his mother died and he was on his own.
He started his musical journey in Orlando Florida and he carved out a career that included 17 grammy’s, an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and numerous other honors. On the Bill Board Hot 100 Ray had 80 hits between 1958-1990. I’ll Be Good To You was his last big hit. Some for his other hit songs were Hit The Road Jack, Georgia On MY Mind, What I Say, I’ve Got a Woman, and You Are My Sunshine. His rendition of America the Beautiful is still played. When you LISTEN to how he sings this song you become aware how a blind, black man feels about this country.