1. “Georgia On My Mind” Ray Charles, musician

3. About Ray Charles Ray Charles was born in Georgia and moved to Florida as a child. At the age of 5, he began to gradually lose his sight. By age 7, he was completely blind. Ray studied at St. Augustine’s for the deaf and blind, where he first began to learn to play the piano. He then moved to Seattle, where he began to be published as a musician.

4. http://youtu.be/Thls_tMuFkc Here is a video of a young Ray Charles performing “Georgia On My Mind”.

5. “Georgia On My Mind” Originally written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell in 1930. It's possible that this was written about a woman, not the state. Carmichael and Gorrell didn't live in Georgia, but Carmichael did have a sister named Georgia. Only four takes to complete (compared to Charles' usual 10-12 takes). This song gave Charles a total of 4 Grammys in the year 1960. In 1979, this became the official state song of Georgia. Willie Nelson sang this at Charles' funeral in 2004.

6. Form The song starts with a small introduction of an orchestra. Violins and different types of stringed instruments are heard. After the intro, Charles’ smooth and soulful voice sings the first verse, with a chorus behind him singing subtle “ooh’s”, “ahh’s”, and occasional phrases. The song then proceeds by going into a minor-sounding bridge, in which the strings are playing a much darker sounding harmony under Ray Charles.

7. Form (continued) After the minor bridge, the song goes back into the second verse, which is an exact repeat of the first verse, which just a bit more passion from Charles. Seceding the second verse is a minor bridge similar to the one heard earlier in the song. This bridge continues with the passionate and powerful sense to it, for Charles’ voice is stronger and the underlying harmonies are more forte (loud) in a sense.

8. Form (continued) The infamous songs ends with a repeat of the verse that has already been heard throughout the song, however this final version of the verse is very reserved and subtle. The subtlety of the last verse shows that Ray Charles loves his home state of Georgia and that he will always be glad to call it his home.

9. “The Father of Soul” Ray Charles died on June 10, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 73. He left a lasting impression on contemporary music. He inspires many of today’s well-known and famous musicians, as well as an Oscar-winning film depicting his life and the hardships he endured throughout his lifetime.

10. Resources http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRgWBN8yt_E – “Georgia On My Mind” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRgWBN8yt_E http://awesomepeoplehangingouttogether.tumblr.com/post/252966 43743/ray-charles-and-ronald-reagan - Picture of Ray Charles and Ronald Reagan http://awesomepeoplehangingouttogether.tumblr.com/post/252966 43743/ray-charles-and-ronald-reagan http://www.mtv.com/artists/ray-charles/ - Picture of Ray Charles http://www.mtv.com/artists/ray-charles/ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/952841/ray-charles-and- johnny-cash-lost-duet-surfaces - Picture of Johnny Cash and Charles http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/952841/ray-charles-and- johnny-cash-lost-duet-surfaces