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Ray Charles Robinson (Albany, Georgia, 23 september 1930 – Beverly Hills, 10 juni 2004) was een Amerikaanse zanger, songwriter, pianist en componist. Door vrienden en medemuzikanten werd hij vaak "Brother Ray" genoemd. Ook werd hij bekend onder de bijnaam "The Genius". Charles was tijdens zijn kinderjaren blind geworden, mogelijk door glaucoom.

Charles was een pionier in het soulmuziekgenre in de jaren vijftig door blues, jazz, rhythm-and-blues en gospel te combineren in de muziek die hij opnam voor Atlantic. Hij droeg bij aan de integratie van countrymuziek, rhythm-and-blues en popmuziek in de jaren 1960 met zijn crossover-succes op ABC Records, met name met zijn twee Modern Sounds-albums. Charles was een van de eerste zwarte muzikanten die artistiek gezien de vrije hand kreeg bij een groot platenlabel.

Charles' hit uit 1960 "Georgia On My Mind" was de eerste van drie nummer 1-hits die hij zou scoren in de Billboard Hot 100. Zijn album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music uit 1962 werd zijn eerste album dat bovenaan de Billboard 200 stond. Charles bereikte met vele singles Billboard-hitlijsten: 44 stonden er in de Amerikaanse R & B-singles-hitlijst, 11 in de Hot 100-singles-hitlijst en 2 in de Hot Country-singles-hitlijsten.

Charles noemde Nat King Cole als de zanger die de meeste invloed had op zijn stijl, maar zijn muziek werd ook beïnvloed door Louis Jordan en Charles Brown. Hij had een levenslange vriendschap en af en toe samenwerking met Quincy Jones. Frank Sinatra noemde Ray Charles "de enige echte genie in showbusiness", maar Charles vond dit overdreven. Billy Joel zei: "Dit klinkt misschien als heiligschennis, maar ik denk dat Ray Charles belangrijker was dan Elvis Presley".

Voor zijn prestaties op muzikaal gebied ontving Charles de Kennedy Center Honors, de National Medal of Arts en de Polar Music Prize. Hij won 17 Grammy Awards, waaronder 5 postuum. Charles werd in 1987 geëerd met de Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award en 10 van zijn opnames zijn opgenomen in de Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone plaatste Charles nr. 10 op hun lijst van de 100 grootste artiesten aller tijden en nr. 2 op hun lijst van de 100 grootste zangers aller tijden.

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians, he preferred being called "Brother Ray". Charles was blinded during childhood, possibly due to glaucoma.

Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining elements of blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel into his music during his time with Atlantic Records. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.

Charles' 1960s hit "Georgia on My Mind" was the first of his three career No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music became his first album to top the Billboard 200. Charles had multiple singles reach the Top 40 on various Billboard charts: 61 on the US R&B singles chart, 33 on the Hot 100 singles chart, and eight on the Hot Country singles charts.

Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music was also influenced by Art Tatum, Louis Jordan and Charles Brown. He had a lifelong friendship and occasional partnership with Quincy Jones. Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business", although Charles downplayed this notion. Billy Joel said, "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley."

For his musical contributions, Charles received the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the Polar Music Prize. He was one of the inaugural inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He has won 17 Grammy Awards (five posthumously), the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", and No. 2 on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In 2023, in its revised list for the "200 Greatest Singers of All Time", Charles was replaced at the No. 2 position by Whitney Houston while taking the sixth spot. In 2022, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.