Ray Charles Quotes

72 quotes in 927 categories

• I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood.…
• Love is a special word, and I use it only when I mean it. You say the word too much and it becomes cheap.
• There's nothing written in the Bible, Old or New testament, that says, 'If you believe in Me, you ain't going to have no troubles.'
• What is a soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room.
• My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil.
• Affluence separates people. Poverty knits 'em together. You got some sugar and I don't; I borrow some of yours. Next month you might not have…
• I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.
• There are many spokes on the wheel of life. First, we're here to explore new possibilities.
• My version of 'Georgia' became the state song of Georgia. That was a big thing for me, man. It really touched me. Here is a…
• Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory.
• Music is my life, professionally, for nearly 60 years. To be recognized by the academy is still the highest honor.
• What makes my approach special is that I do different things. I do jazz, blues, country music and so forth. I do them all, like…
• 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,…
• I don't sing a song unless I feel it. The song don't tug at my heart, I pass on it. I have to believe in…
• 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 really feel that if you're gonna be good, you gotta practice... Practice whatever the hell you do.
• 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…
• When I started to sing like myself - as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while - when I started…
• The fact of the matter is, you don't give up what's natural. Anything I've fantasized about, I've done.
• You ask me what I'd like to do that I haven't done and I say 'Nothin'!' I haven't any mountains to climb or oceans to…

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