I'd like to think that when I sing a song, I can let you know all about the heartbreak, struggle, lies and kicks in the ass I've gotten over the years for being black and everything else, without actually saying a word about it. Ray Charles More Quotes by Ray Charles More Quotes From Ray Charles Music is about the only thing left that people don't fight over. Ray Charles music-is fighting people Music to me is just like breathing. I have to have it. It's part of me. Ray Charles breathing Absence makes the heart grow fonder and tears are only rain to make love grow. Ray Charles sadness rain heart I don't think any of us really knows why we're here. But I think we're supposed to believe we're here for a purpose. Ray Charles purpose believe thinking [On his heroin addiction:] I did it to myself. It wasn't society...it wasn't a pusher, it wasn't being blind or being black or being poor. It was all my doing. Ray Charles addiction black blind I was born with music inside me Ray Charles musical-life inspirational-music musician There are many spokes on the wheel of life. First, we're here to explore new possibilities. Ray Charles possibility wheels firsts Drunken talk isn’t meant to be printed in the paper. Ray Charles printed meant-to-be paper I never considered myself part of rock 'n' roll. My stuff was more adult. It was more difficult for teenagers to relate to; my stuff was filled with more despair than anything you'd associate with rock 'n' roll. Since I couldn't see people dancing, I didn't write jitterbugs or twists. I wrote rhythms that moved me. My style requires pure heart singing. Ray Charles teenager heart writing You never can overwhelm an instrument. You will never get out all that's in an instrument. An instrument will bring you to your limits. Ray Charles I can't help what I sound like. What I sound like is what i am. You know? I cannot be anything other that what I am. Ray Charles sound knows helping Goodbye don't mean gone. Ray Charles gone goodbye mean The words to country songs are very earthy like the blues. They're not as dressed up and the people are very honest and say, 'Look, I miss you darlin', so I went out and got drunk in this bar.' That's the way you say it. Where in Tin Pan Alley they would say, 'Oh I missed you darling, so I went to this restaurant and I sat down and had a dinner for one.' That's cleaned up now, you see? But country and blues tells it like it is. Ray Charles tin-pan-alley song country I'm not a jazz singer, blues singer or country singer. I'm a singer that can sing rhythm & blues, that can sing jazz, that can sing country. There's a big difference. In other words, I'm not a specialist. Ray Charles singers differences country My mom taught me a lot. A lot about minding your own business and leaving other people's business alone. And let them think what they want. Ray Charles mom people thinking Even though I'm not Jewish...Israel is one of the few causes I feel good about supporting. Ray Charles feel-good causes israel Music's been around a long time, and there's going to be music long after Ray Charles is dead. I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good behind. If it's a big record, that's the frosting on the cake, but music's the main meal. Ray Charles rays cake long Crying's always been a way for me to get things out which are buried deep, deep down. When I sing, I often cry. Crying is feeling, and feeling is being human. Ray Charles emotion feelings way When I started to sing like myself - as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while - when I started singing like Ray Charles, it had this spiritual and churchy, this religious or gospel sound. It had this holiness and preachy tone to it. It was very controversial. I got a lot of criticism for it. Ray Charles singing religious spiritual Music is the chalk to the blackboard of life. Without it everything is a blank slate Ray Charles chalk blank music-is
