“ My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil. Ray Charles
“ Learning to read music in Braille & play by ear helped me develop a [very] good memory. Ray Charles
“ I suppose I've always done my share of crying, especially when there's no other way to contain my feelings. I know that men ain't supposed to cry, but I think that's wrong. Crying's always been a way… Ray Charles
“ Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory. Ray Charles
“ Music's been around a long time, and there's going to be music long after Ray Charles is dead. I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good behind. If it's a big record, that's the fros… Ray Charles
“ Music is my life, professionally, for nearly 60 years. To be recognized by the academy is still the highest honor. Ray Charles
“ I did it to myself. It wasn't society... it wasn't a pusher, it wasn't being blind or being black or being poor. It was all my doing. Ray Charles
“ What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like a good utility man. Ray Charles
“ I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessit… Ray Charles
