Ray Charles

Description by OLDIES.com:

Ray Charles: The Birth Of Soul is the amazing story of a true innovator and his enormous impact on the popular music of the last fifty years. Acknowledged as an inspiration by everyone from Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder to The Beatles and Norah Jones, Charles simply changed the face of popular music forever.

Author Mike Evans traces Charles' personal story from the first musical stirrings of a troubled childhood to the pinnacles of international success, evaluating his extraordinary influence on the way Ray Charles brought together blues and gospel music for the first time, becoming both the founding figure of soul music and one of its greatest exponents. He went on to break many musical boundaries, influencing jazz, country music and rock 'n' roll in equal measure.

With many quotes and exclusive interviews, including several with Ray Charles himself, this is the definitive account of the life and legacy of a musician for whom the word "genius" can be the only apt description.