Devyn LeBlanc
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Join Hot Tamale, a Tallahassee acoustic duo, on Thursday, Sept. 23, as they celebrate Ray Charles' birthday by honoring him and singing some of his hits while gathered around his statue to pay tribute. The celebration will begin at 6 p.m., located at 140 SW Broad Ave., in Greenville.
Ray Charles was a long time resident of Greenville and began his music career at the age of five, when he began to play on a piano in a local neighborhood cafe. Ray Charles, unfortunately, lost his eyesight at the age of seven, most likely due to glaucoma. He attended the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, in St. Augustine Fla., where he concentrated on musical studies. He left school at 15 to play the piano professionally after his mother passed away of cancer.
As Ray Charles grew throughout his career, he received 13 Grammy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Charles was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, received a Kennedy Center Honor and awarded the National Medal of Arts.
On June 10 of 2004, Ray Charles passed away after a long battle with cancer. His music and spirit is still survived by his fans and his memory will forever live on.
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