Ray Charles was a successful singer against all odds; the odds of blindness and racism of his time.

Blind from age seven, musical prodigy Ray Charles refused to let disability and deep poverty limit his soaring talent. With undaunted passion, he learned piano by ear, eschewing Braille sheet music norms for the blind. Charles persevered through grueling early touring schedules across the Jim Crow South, facing both racism as an African American and skeptical attitudes about his visual impairment on the stage. By pioneering a sensational new fusion of gospel, jazz, and blues traditions into what became known as “soul music,” Charles ultimately ascended to global icon status. With incomparable vocals gracing songs like “Georgia On My Mind,” he earned mainstream popularity and critical acclaim. Though the music industry originally deemed a blind Black artist too much of a liability, Ray Charles broke barriers through the universality of sheer musical genius that spoke straight to the heart. Both deeply American yet transcending categorization, his legacy as “The Genius” remains one of vision despite blindness and grace despite gravity.