Ray Charles Quotes

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, leave something musically good behind. If it's a big record, that's the frosting on the cake, but music's the main meal.

Do it right or don't do it at all. That comes from my mom. If there's something I want to do, I'm one of those people that won't be satisfied until I get it done. If I'm trying to sing something and I can't get it, I'm going to keep at it until I get where I want it.

I was born with music inside me. That's the only explanation I know of

I never said I was a genius. I never said I was a cornerstone. I've never said I'm a legend in my own time. You never heard me say nothing like that.

Dreams, if they're any good, are always a little bit crazy.

Music is about the only thing left that people don't fight over.

I cant retire from music any more than I can retire from my liver. Youd have to remove the music from me surgically—like you were taking out my appendix.

Hit the road Jack, don'tcha come back no more, no more, no more, no more. Hit the road Jack, don'tcha come back no more.

I don't think any of us really knows why we're here. But I think we're supposed to believe we're here for a purpose.

[On his heroin addiction:] I did it to myself. It wasn't society...it wasn't a pusher, it wasn't being blind or being black or being poor. It was all my doing.

My mom taught me a lot. A lot about minding your own business and leaving other people's business alone. And let them think what they want.

Art Tatum -- he was a genius. And Einstein, not me.

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 a good utility man.

Goodbye don't mean gone.

It's like Duke Ellington said, there are only two kinds of music - good and bad. And you can tell when something is good.

The fact of the matter is, you don't give up what's natural. Anything I've fantasized about, I've done.

Music is my life, professionally, for nearly 60 years. To be recognized by the academy is still the highest honor.

I'm not into the money thing. You can only sleep in one bed at a time. You can only eat one meal at a time, or be in one car at a time. So I don't have to have millions of dollars to be happy. All I need are clothes on my back, a decent meal, and a little loving when I feel like it. That's the bottom line.

Music is nothing separate from me. It is me... You'd have to remove the music surgically.

What I've got to live up to, is being myself. If I do that, the rest will take care of itself.

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 any flour; well, I'll give you some of mine.

If somebody don't like something that I do, that's his or her prerogative. Just like it's mine.

The role of the designer is basically that of a good host, anticipating the needs of the guest.

I think that most great artists who are extremely known, as I am, would intimidate a lot of people. I don't want to do that to people, but I know I do.

Now Listen You know I work so hard, all day long Everything I try to do, Seem to always turn out wrong That's why I wanna stop by on my way home and say Let's go get stoned

When I started to sing like myself - as opposed to imitating Nat Cole, which I had done for a while - when I started singing like Ray Charles, it had this spiritual and churchy, this religious or gospel sound. It had this holiness and preachy tone to it. It was very controversial. I got a lot of criticism for it.

I sing what I sing true. Each night I sing it the way I feel that night.

Don't go backwards - you've already been there.

Just like you can buy grades of silk, you can buy grades of justice.

I'd like to think that when I sing a song, I can let you know all about the heartbreak, struggle, lies and kicks in the ass I've gotten over the years for being black and everything else, without actually saying a word about it.

You never can overwhelm an instrument. You will never get out all that's in an instrument. An instrument will bring you to your limits.

There are many spokes on the wheel of life. First, we're here to explore new possibilities.

I can't help what I sound like. What I sound like is what i am. You know? I cannot be anything other that what I am.

I don't know what would have happened to me if I hadn't been able to hear.

The important thing is to feel your music, really feel it and believe it.

Other arms reach out to me, Other eyes smile tenderly, Still in peaceful dreams I see, The road leads back to you.

I used to sing like Nat King Cole. I mean he was the guy when I was comin' up, and you know, man, people used to say of me, "Damn, he sure do sound like Nat King Cole." But there was a day, and luckily for me it was early, when I woke up and asked myself, "Well, when are the ask me to sing because I sound like me?" So my advice is, never do anything that you don't like.

I always stay out of the rehearsal room you know when they first come in. Then once they had chance to play a little bit, then I walk in. Because I've seen guys fall apart.

I really feel that if you're gonna be good, you gotta practice... Practice whatever the hell you do.

I was born with music inside me

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 miss you darlin', so I went out and got drunk in this bar.' That's the way you say it. Where in Tin Pan Alley they would say, 'Oh I missed you darling, so I went to this restaurant and I sat down and had a dinner for one.' That's cleaned up now, you see? But country and blues tells it like it is.

I'm a firm believer in God himself, but that's as far as I can go. I'm not any denomination. I'm not Catholic or Presbyterian or Baptist or Methodist or Jewish or Muslim. I'm none of those things. And I'm sure that's just fine with God.

Many times during auditions, I was told that I couldn't carry a note with a bucket, and that I sure couldn't play the piano.

If you can play the blues, you can do anything.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and tears are only rain to make love grow.

Music to me is like breathing. I don't get tired of breathing, I don't get tired of music.

My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil.

Sighted people, you gotta deal with them.