Transcription
This blind child asks his mother for help because he just fell, but the woman doesn't help him; instead, she just watches him. The woman doesn't do it out of malice but because she wants to teach her son to fend for himself. Over time, Ray develops a great ear, and as he loves the piano, he begins to revolutionize music. However, his life will be full of bittersweet and controversial moments, not to mention that due to his blindness, some people will try to take advantage of him. This film is based on real events. You'll see, when he was little, Richard Robinson used to play with his brother George. However, whenever he could, he would sneak off to the nearby store to listen to a man play the piano. Ray genuinely felt extremely attracted to the sounds of the instrument. So, noticing this, the man began to teach him, which made the boy extremely happy. It's a shame that happiness would end days later when George invited Ray to swim in a tub. Ray didn't want to, and then his brother slipped, starting to kick. Instead of helping, our friend just told him to get out, that it wasn't funny. As the seconds passed, the boys' mother noticed what was happening, and it was too late. Devastated, the woman asked Ray why he hadn't done anything. Why hadn't he called her? The next day, the funeral arrived, where Ray began to cry inconsolably. Only now did he understand what had happened to his brother. Time continued its course, and nine months later, Ray began to lose his sight. Aretha bought a ointment that a doctor prescribed, but nothing worked, and when he least expected it, Ray became completely blind. According to the doctors of that time, it was due to glaucoma in his eyes. Noticing this, Aretha asked him not to cry; he had to learn to fend for himself. She would help him. If he made mistakes, she would help him again, but the third time, he would have to do it alone. That was life; no one would have compassion for him for being blind. Ray agreed, although he depended a lot on his mother. That's why one day, seeing him fall, Aretha held back her desire to help him. Ray began to cry, but she didn't approach him. So, after a few seconds, he got up alone and, using his hands, began to guide himself, avoiding the fire. The boy also used his hearing to find a cricket. He also told his mother that he knew she was there; he could hear her breathing. This made the woman cry; now she knew her son could fend for himself. Months later, Aretha took all her savings and bought a bus ticket for Ray. She would send him to a school for the blind. The boy didn't want to be separated from her side, but his mother said he needed an education; only then would he achieve success. She didn't want him to live the day as she had to make her proud, but above all, he had to promise her that he wouldn't become an invalid. "I promise," Ray replied. Years passed, our friend became an adult, and one day in 1948, he bought a bus ticket to go to Seattle. The only problem is that the driver didn't want to take him because he didn't want to take care of him. Charles said he had to take him; he had paid for the ticket like everyone else. This annoyed the man; he wouldn't let an African American speak to him like that. Understanding what was happening, Charles apologized, but he had the right; he had lost his eyes in the war and wasn't begging. The lie was very effective, so soon Ray arrived in Seattle, where he met Quincy Jones, a great trumpeter. Both tried to enter the club; however, the guard didn't allow Quincy to enter for being too young. Once inside, the show was quite boring, so Marlene, the owner of the club, gave Ray an opportunity. Our friend wasn't prepared, but he still seized the moment, being introduced by Overton as the great Ray Robinson. Seeing that he was blind, people thought it was a joke and started laughing. However, they immediately fell silent upon hearing him play and sing; some even started dancing. Then Gosi arrived, who had invited Ray to sing. For this reason, Marlene told him that she would hire Ray and get him more shows, however, she wanted 25%. Gosi accepted; he also wanted a large part of the profits, after all, Ray was quite naive. Here Marlene added something: she also wanted Ray to stay at her house. With the days, our friend began to live with Marlene, something that exhausted him greatly; after all, the woman just wanted to have passion. Of course, leaving his own aside, thanks to Ray, the club was always full. Thus, a year later, his first tour arrived. Ray began to pack, but then his brother's hand touched him. That's right, even after years of the incident, our friend felt guilt. Days later, Ray met Jack, who without hesitation offered him to record a record. Seeing what was happening, Marlene and Gosi interrupted them; they were his agents. Ray obviously wanted to be part of the conversation, but Marlene didn't allow it. That's why, fed up with them scamming Ray, Overton told him what was happening; he even had Jack's card. Days later, Ray rebelled against Marlene and Gosi, knowing that they had been stealing from him. The men tried to persuade him, but Ray left with Quincy, after all, besides the record, he had offered him tours. With the days, everything improved for Ray; he even changed his stage name. There was already a Ray Robinson, so he would be Ray Charles. Accepting, Ray began with the tours, where he met the band and Wilbur, the one in charge of payment, to whom Ray made only one request: he wanted his payment only in $1 bills, you know, because it would be easier for him to count. By the way, this is an image of the real Charles Ray from that era; he undoubtedly had a very similar look. Anyway, city after city, after each performance, the band members went out with girls. Ray wanted the same, but they always excluded him. This obviously made him feel bad, but not everything was bad; he was earning quite well, and as we said, all the bills were in $1. Of course, one night after playing, Ray slipped on water on the floor, and when he bent down, he touched his brother's leg. He undoubtedly felt great guilt. The next day, Jeff, the driver, asked Ray how he managed, too, despite not seeing. Our friend replied that his ears were like his eyes; everything had its own sound. He had to learn quickly to survive. Jeff replied that he understood; he had to learn quickly in the war or he wouldn't be there. The conversation brought the boys closer, so Jeff began to help Ray, something the others didn't do. Here, Ray couldn't stop thinking about his brother, which is why, upon discovering that Cabezón and Jimmy were addicts, he asked them for some to forget his sorrows. Cabezón refused, but Jimmy didn't, which made Ray not only escape his nightmares but also inspired him to write a new song. Upon hearing it, many girls felt attracted to Ray, winning him all the conquests over the others, which didn't please Wilbur. To know which girl to have passion with, Ray would touch her hand; if he felt it was pretty and soft, he chose the girl, but if not, he rejected her. Days later, Wilbur gave Ray his full payment, however, upon feeling few bills, our friend attacked him. The boys stopped him and confirmed that it was complete; he had simply used larger bills. Wilbur said yes, he was just tired of counting hundreds of $1 bills. Ray, instead of apologizing, resigned, and his trauma with money came from when he was little. You see, Ray's mother and another neighbor worked together washing clothes for others. They both divided the payment equally, or at least that's what she thought, because one day she discovered that the neighbor charged white people more and paid her less. Aretha immediately resigned but told her children something: they had to learn to read and write so they wouldn't be cheated; they had to remember that someone who lies also steals. Leaving that aside, upon resigning, she became unemployed, although one day she was visited by Ahmet Ertegun, an executive from Atlantic Records, who had bought her contract. After all, he was a great admirer. Ray asked what he offered him because another company was offering him 7 cents per record. "If you think in cents, you'll receive cents, sir, but if you think in dollars, you'll receive dollars." This made Charles smile; now they were understanding each other. As you can imagine, Ray accepted to join, beginning to record a new album. The only problem is that our friend sounded like other musicians, and what they were looking for was his own identity. It was for this reason that Ahmet asked him to sing a song he had written; it was titled "Mess Around." Upon hearing it, Ray was fascinated; he knew exactly what to do with it, and what do you know, by giving it his own touch, it resulted in a complete hit. Such was the success that our friend was interviewed on the radio, where he confessed that he loved gospel, that is, religious music. In fact, he was a big fan of Cecil Taylor's group. At that moment, the studio received a call, and it was from Della, a member of the group who wanted to meet Ray. Our friend, more than delighted, met her, where, upon hearing her speak, she immediately identified which songs she sang. The girl, intrigued, asked how he had identified her voice in the group; there were so many people. Ray explained that he heard as she saw, thus he could notice the hummingbird that was on the window. Fascinated, the girl smiled; Ray was someone very interesting. At that moment, Ray asked if she had liked his new album. The girl replied yes, although frankly, she commented that she thought he sounded like other musicians; she wondered what the real Charles Ray sounded like. He wasn't offended; instead, he asked for her hand, you'll know why, and upon confirming what he thought, he decided to win over the girl. After the meal, they both had a pleasant walk, however, upon arriving at the girl's house, she said she couldn't invite him in; she lived with the preacher and his wife, and the woman didn't like her inviting men. Ray understood, although without hesitation, he kissed her. The girl asked him to wait; they were going too fast. Our friend had no problem; he just asked her to wait two weeks; he had a meeting in New York. The girl accepted, so he redid his trip, asking Ahmet for a band to go on tour. He knew that if he did, he would achieve great success. Ahmet accepted, and after two weeks, Ray was back with Della. And remember that the girl had asked him to go slow? Well, since the preacher and his wife weren't home, she threw herself at Ray, having a moment of passion. Once in bed, Ray said he only trusted two people: Jeff, who was his bandleader, and Cabezón, his saxophonist. However, now he wanted to trust her; he just asked her for two things: never lie to him and not to pity him. The girl said she didn't pity him; she admired him. The moment was so special for Ray that he composed a song about them in the gospel style, titled "I Got a Woman." Upon hearing it, Della said that was sacrilege; religious music was only for God. Our friend replied that she had asked him to be original, well, all his life he had played gospel; his song was as natural as the love he felt for her. Upon hearing this, the girl understood. By the way, this is the real Ray without glasses, undoubtedly quite similar to this scene. With the weeks, the song became a complete success, so Ahmet introduced Ray to Jerry Wexler, his new representative. Furthermore, shortly after, our friend married Della. This photograph shows what the real Della was like. As you can imagine, everything was going well for Ray, however, something was happening. Ray continued to consume substances in secret, and months later, Della discovered it. Obviously, the woman was furious. They were expecting a baby. Ray replied that he was sorry but wouldn't stop; he just hoped that when he returned from his tours, she would be waiting for him. Shortly after, Ray hired a backup singer named Mary Ann. The girl sang quite well, but what convinced him to hire her was feeling her hand; he knew she was pretty. Jeff, of course, knew what would happen. Thus, with a song, Ray seduced the girl, leading them to a moment of passion. Only, unlike Della, Mary wasn't bothered by the substances. The moment was interrupted by Jeff; his baby had been born. Without a doubt, Ray attended the hospital. He couldn't see it, but for him, it was the most beautiful creature in the world. Here he took the opportunity to say something: he knew about the things he did during his tours; he just asked her not to bring them home. "I understand," Ray replied. "I love you." Over time, Ray began to live two lives: one as a great husband and father at home, and another as a rockstar on tours with Mary Ann. One day, Ray asked Ahmet to get three more backup singers for his new album. When recording, everything went more than great, which is why he thought about hiring them. However, to be sure, he gave them his hand, of course. The situation, of course, didn't please Mary Ann, although to keep her happy, Ray decided to give her a more important role as a singer. In principle, Mary accepted, but over time she began to notice that Ray was spending more and more time with Margie, and the breaking point was when she discovered that Ray was taking her to his room, which is why she resigned. Surprisingly, this brought luck to Mary Ann, as she became a quite well-known singer. This is an image of the real Mary Ann Fitzgerald. Returning to Charles, one day Margie told him that she wanted to try substances; she saw that thanks to them, he was inspired every night. Annoyed, Ray said that if she did, he would leave her immediately. Years passed, Ray continued his double life, and shortly after, something peculiar happened. Ray, being disoriented (you know, due to the substances), tried to leave before a show. The owner said there was still time, so, not knowing what to do, Ray was inspired, creating a brilliant live song that ignited everyone. Undoubtedly, Ray worked magic on stage. According to Ahmet, the song was indecent; perhaps it wasn't suitable for youth, but it would undoubtedly be a success. The man also told Ray something in private; it was already noticeable that he was an addict; he was always scratching himself. He was a great artist, but he recommended he quit; he told him as a friend. Charles, of course, didn't listen, but he continued to achieve successes, which allowed him to move to a large house in Los Angeles. However, here he received a call from Margie. Noticing it was her, he asked her not to do it again; he was with his family, feeling rejected. Margie began to sing badly during a recording, so Ray asked to get another girl for that album, and what do you know, the girl became part of the group. A few days later, she told Ray that he only had 4 months left on his contract with Atlantic. As his agent, she had dedicated herself to investigating, and for Ahmet, he had a great deal for him. Ray mentioned that Atlantic was like his family; he wouldn't abandon them. However, upon hearing that they would give him $50,000 each year, plus 75% of each record, he didn't hesitate to attend the meeting. Although Ray not only wanted the 75% but also all the rights to his original music. Sam Clark, the one in charge of the label, knew that no artist had had such a contract, but upon knowing Charles's worth, he accepted without hesitation. On the contrary, the Atlantic people and the men became furious, but still, Ahmet congratulated him; not even Frank Sinatra had such a contract. He was proud. Ray constantly reinvented himself, so shortly after, he began to make music with an orchestra. Here we see some real images of Charles, and indeed, he wasn't doing badly at all. The months passed, and one day during a festival, Charles ran into an old friend, Quincy Jones, who was also famous at that time. Charles told him that he would soon have a tour in the South, to which Quincy replied that he wasn't going there; they were states that didn't respect African Americans; he recommended he not attend. That night, Margie began to vomit. Ray thought she was drunk, but the girl told him that it wasn't that, but that she was pregnant. Ray immediately replied that he had to cut the problem at the root, to which Marie refused; she wanted to have a family with him. After all, he spent more time with her than with Della. Ray, annoyed, said he wouldn't do it, however, the moment had so much tension that it inspired both of them; they wrote a song together. Undoubtedly, a very random situation, and what do you know, the song was a complete success. For this reason, two weeks later, Margie finally decided to leave; she would do it by taking advantage of her moment of fame, thus she could become a solo artist. Ray, who was under the influence of substances, begged her not to leave, although upon noticing that he was confusing her with Della, he left without hesitation. Days later, Charles began his tour in Georgia, where many people were protesting against racism. In principle, Charles just turned a blind eye; he was only there to play. However, at that moment, the man who had hired him treated a protester badly, which made him change his mind; he wouldn't play there. This, of course, earned him a lawsuit and even a ban in Georgia, but Charles wasn't worried; after all, he had many performances in other places, causing a complete party in Indianapolis. Here we can compare an image from that day. After this, he checked into his hotel, where after a few seconds, the police knocked on the door, and upon searching, they found the substances. As is evident, the label got Ray out of trouble, who, despite being in prison for only a few days, felt ashamed, a feeling he used to write another song. That's right, the man didn't miss any opportunity to monetize. Of course, obviously, his wife insisted that Ray detoxify, but the man refused. Shortly after, Ray wanted to do country, which Clark thought was a terrible idea, but he had no choice; his contract allowed him to do whatever he wanted. Our friend implemented this idea during a concert, and although at first, people didn't respond well, Joe Adams, the new presenter, asked to turn off the lights and only focus on Ray, which made people pay attention and listen to him. Undoubtedly, everything turned out well for him. At the end of the night, Ray met Joe; what he had done had been perfect; he knew how to handle the audience; he liked that he was on his team. Along with the guys, they toured all over the world, so Ray bought a gigantic mansion to raise his children. This is a real image of the family in the house. With the months, Joe began to feel jealous of Joe; he had been with Ray all those years and felt that Joe was taking his place. Days later, during a party, Ray received a call from Margie. He asked what was happening, so Ray told him; Margie had passed away due to problems with her addiction. He swore that he hadn't induced it. Upon hearing this, Della said that he should send money to her son, as she knew everything about the baby. Charles was quite surprised, although he said not to worry; he sent money every month, and without further ado, he began to cry. Shortly after, Joe began to give orders to the band, which annoyed Cabezón, but especially Jeff, who said that he was the one who organized the band. At that moment, Ray asked to speak with Jeff alone. He knew that he had been stealing. Jeff replied that he had never stolen from him; it was all lies from Joe. Ray saw the evidence; he couldn't believe he had betrayed him if he was like his brother. Seeing this, Jeff, almost crying, commented that he had betrayed him first, after all, he paid him more than Joe, and he was just the presenter. That afternoon at home, one of Ray's sons wanted to tell him about his baseball game, but the man ignored him completely; he was undoubtedly quite unwell. A year later, Ray was arrested in Boston for possession of substances. As always, the label got him out of trouble, however, tired of the situation, she spoke seriously with Ray. He had to detoxify; his sons were winning baseball games, and he didn't even notice. But she wasn't asking him for herself, for his children, or for the women he went out with; she was asking him because if he continued like this, he would lose the most valuable thing to him: his music, because he couldn't make it in prison. These words made Charles cry, so shortly after, he entered rehabilitation. The days here were not easy; he had a fever, wanted to escape, and the memories of George scared him. One day, while playing chess, the doctor told him that he had already passed the worst; the next step was therapy. Fun fact: Ray was a great chess player; here we can see him in this image. Leaving that aside, Ray didn't want to go to therapy because he knew what he would find. The doctor said it was necessary; only then could he pass his evaluation before the judge. After this, the man left; he wanted to infuriate Ray, and without further ado, he was transported with his mother. Upon seeing her, Ray said he had kept his promise, to which the woman replied that he hadn't, because despite having come far, the substances had turned him into an invalid. Ray began to cry, but then his brother told him some healing words. "It wasn't your fault." Ray hugged both of them, so his mother asked him again to make a promise: to keep his feet firmly on the ground and not let anything turn him into an invalid. "I promise," Ray replied. From that moment on, something changed within our friend; he left rehabilitation and fulfilled his mother's promise, never touching substances again. Furthermore, he donated more than $20 million to schools for African Americans and charities for the blind and deaf. Ray continued to achieve successes and some Grammys until in 2004, he finally passed away. If you want to see another film about addiction problems, I recommend "A Street Cat Named Bob," also another with Jamie Foxx, "Seeking Justice," and of course, two others with a musician, "August Rush" and "Clouds." Thanks to everyone for watching this video and special thanks to the channel members who support me in continuing to create this type of content. That's all, Bower out, see you in the next one.