The Untold Truth Of Ray Charles

Posted by Noelle Montes on Monday, May 6, 2024

Ray Charles' brother, George, was one year younger than him. As Ray's son, Ray Charles Robinson Jr., wrote in the 2010 biography "You Don't Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles," Ray Sr. and George were "inseparable" and "loved to explore." Even as a three-year-old, George had a keen mathematical mind and ability to make handmade toys out of scrap materials.

But when Ray was five years old, and George was four, tragedy broke them apart. One day, Ray was keeping a watchful eye as his little brother splashed around in a large washing tub next to their cabin when suddenly, George began to struggle in the water. After a moment of panic, Ray ran to the tub and tried to pull George out by his ankles but wasn't strong enough to get him out. He screamed for his mother, who pulled George out of the tub, but it was too late: George had drowned. In her grief, their mother blamed Ray.

"Sobbing and praying for God to save George, she screamed at my father, 'This is your fault! You were supposed to be watching out for your little brother!'" Ray Jr. wrote. "The last thing my father remembers about that day is the sight of his mother, her face streaming with tears, carrying George's lifeless body into the cabin ... He knew his brother was dead, and his mind went dark. In that inner darkness, his mother's voice echoed endlessly."

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