Ray Charles was the stage name of Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 - June 10, 2004). He was a pioneering American pianist and soulmusician who helped shape the sound of rhythm and blues and brought a soulful sound to everything from country music to pop standards to a now-iconic rendition of "America the Beautiful." Frank Sinatracalled him "the only genius in the business." In 2003, he headlined the White House Correspondents Dinner in Wash., DC, at which President and Mrs. Bush, Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, were in attendance. Astonishingly, he also performed at the request of the previous seven American presidents. During his life he received eight honorary doctorates, the last from Dillard University in New Orleans in 2003.
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