Ray Charles

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

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 a good utility man.

Jazz improvisation is the art of collective negotiated expression.

I really liked Wynton when I first met him. He’s still a nice young man, only confused.

I thought of nothing else but rock ‘n’ roll; apart from sex and food and money–but that’s all the same thing, really.

Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy’s playing blues like we play, he’s in high school. When he starts playing jazz it’s like going on to college, to a school of higher learning.

Anything I do has to be directly related to my music. If it isn’t, I don’t really see a point to it.

Jazz translates the moment into a sense of inspiration for not only the musicians but for the listeners.

A Les Paul feels like a guitar and I play differently on that and I sound too much like someone else.

The saxophone is an imperfect instrument, especially the tenor and soprano, as far as intonation goes. The challenge is to sing on an imperfect instrument that is outside of your body.

There is a time where you’re beyond yourself, better than your technique, better than your usual ideas.

New artists can own their content and completely build their base and their following without having to sell or be owned by anybody and it creates such a diversity.

When I achieved what I thought the musicians were trying to do, the sound sort of bloomed. When it’s right, everything is beautiful.

I worked hard learning harmony and theory when I was growing up in Chicago in the 1920s.

At times as a performer they segregated us in some of theatres.

Jazz music is a style, not compositions; any kind of music may be played in Jazz if one has the knowledge.

To imitate someone is to insult them.