“He let us know that even though you might have obstacles that may seem insurmountable, you can overcome. GALLERY: Ray Charles performing throughout the yearsĮrik Avanier: “As someone who grew up with him, how proud are you of Ray Charles? Rolling Stone even ranked him number 10 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. In 1992, he was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. So, he kept his ties to Jacksonville after he became famous,” Toler said.Īs the years went by, Ray Charles became a household name in music genres that included soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and he even successfully crossed over into country and western music. His aunt was a patient at Eartha White’s nursing home on Moncrief Road, and he cared for her until her death. “He kept his connection to Jacksonville for years. Toler said Charles never forgot his aunt back in Jacksonville. “One of the legends is that he was discovered at the Wynn Hotel and a bar,” Toler said.Ĭharles would eventually leave Florida and head west to Seattle, then years later, Los Angeles. Toler said that at the time, a small strip of Ashley Street was known for its nightlife, and it was at some of the nightclubs and bars where Charles developed a reputation as an impressive blind musician who was still just a kid. That location is now a vacant lot, just footsteps from where the young teen began making a name for himself one street over. Portrait of Ray Charles in Downtown Jacksonville. “He came to live with an aunt that lived on Church Street,” Toler said. Ritz Theatre and Museum historian Adonnica Toler said Charles had a relative in the River City. In the mid-1940s, when Charles was only a young teenager, he left the school following the death of his mother and moved to the LaVilla neighborhood in Jacksonville. To this day, Charles is one of the most famous people to have ever attended the school. It was at the school where he further developed his musical talents by learning how to play other instruments. “When I sat, I ended up on the ground,” Pritchett said with a smile.Ĭharles was eventually sent to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. She recalled a moment when they were at a backyard gathering and Charles, who had lost his vision, pulled the chair away as she was just about to sit down. Pritchett also described Charles as the ultimate practical joker when they were kids. The railroad tracks are right behind this house,” Day said. “He could count and know when to get off to get home. Day recalls seeing Charles walk along railroad tracks to get from downtown Greenville to his home. We never ostracized him,” Pritchett said.ĭespite losing his vision, Charles was known to still get around with help from others. Did we treat him any different? We did not. “When I first knew him, I think he could see some, but during the years, he would lose his vision,” Day said.
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