Topmusicanswers
Ray Charles struggled as a teenager and beyond Charles' early years were marked with struggle. He had a heroin addiction and a reputation for womanizing and complicated interpersonal relationships. Though he did eventually stop using heroin, he turned to other vices to fill the void.
- What did Ray Charles suffer from?
- Did Ray Charles have a nervous breakdown?
- What is the story of Ray Charles?
What did Ray Charles suffer from?
Blind in Childhood
At the age of 7, he became completely blind when his right eye was removed due to intense pain. Most medical experts agree glaucoma was the culprit, although growing up in Charles' time and place, not to mention economic background, no one will ever be able to say for sure.
Did Ray Charles have a nervous breakdown?
George's death was certainly traumatic for the young Ray, yet the only time Ray suffered what he termed a nervous breakdown had neither to do with the drowning nor the loss of his sight a year later. ... It happened when Ray was 15, living at a school for the blind 160 miles from home. “I knew my world had ended,” he said.
What is the story of Ray Charles?
Ray Charles, original name Ray Charles Robinson, (born September 23, 1930, Albany, Georgia, U.S.—died June 10, 2004, Beverly Hills, California), American pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader, a leading entertainer billed as “the Genius.” Charles was credited with the early development of soul music, a style based ...
