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Start giftingBrother Ray
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Learn moreRay Charles (1930–2004) led one of the most extraordinary lives of any popular musician. In Brother Ray, he reveals his life story unsparingly, from the chronicle of his musical development to his heroin addiction to his tangled romantic life.
Overcoming poverty, blindness, the loss of his parents, and the pervasive racism of the era, Ray Charles was acclaimed worldwide as a genius by the age of thirty-two. By combining the influences of gospel, jazz, blues, and country music, he invented, almost single-handedly, what became known as “soul.” And throughout a career spanning more than a half century, Ray Charles remained in complete control of his life and his music, allowing nobody to tell him what he could or couldn’t do.
David Ritz is the author and coauthor of many acclaimed autobiographies of entertainers, including Ray Charles, Etta James, Scott Weiland, Grandmaster Flash, and more. Five of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, and he has won the Gleason Award for Best Music Book of the Year four times.
Andrew L. Barnes graduated from the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio. His theater and music experience includes work with the Ensemble Theater Company, the Cincinnati Opera Company, and the Sorg Opera Company.
Reviews
“Candid, explicit, sometimes embarrassing, often hilarious, always warm, touching, and deeply human—just like his music.”
“An emotional blast as vivid and real, sweaty and straight-talking as the man himself.”
“Andrew Barnes…doesn’t imitate Charles’ distinctive voice but captures all of its passion and style…The text is entertaining and far more compelling than it would have been in print.”
“In his smooth baritone voice, Barnes successfully captures the mercurial personality of ‘Brother Ray,’ allowing listeners to fully grasp the legendary performer’s bravado, humility, wonder, cynicism, callousness, and tenderness…[An] outstanding audio.”
“Andrew L. Barnes’ rich voice captures a variety of accents perfectly, with excellent timing. A good addition to music, biography, and popular collections.”
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