---
name: "Ray Charles"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ray-charles"
fi1m_id: "ray-charles"
imdb_id: "nm0153124"
tmdb_id: 7174
wikidata_id: "Q544387"
roles: ["Vocals"]
born: "23 September 1930"
died: "10 June 2004"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T04:45:35.813084+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ray Charles

## Identity

Ray Charles

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ray-charles
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ray-charles
- **IMDb ID:** nm0153124
- **TMDB ID:** 7174
- **Wikidata ID:** Q544387
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q544387, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0153124/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7174

Vocals. Born 23 September 1930 in Albany, Georgia, USA. Died 10 June 2004.

## Details

- **Work:** Vocals
- **Born:** 23 September 1930, Albany, Georgia, USA
- **Died:** 10 June 2004
- **Active:** 1967–1985
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 4: 3 acting, 1 crew
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 85 (1), 1980s 80 (3)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q544387, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0153124/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7174

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*The Blues Brothers*](https://film.one/film/the-blues-brothers.md) (81)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ray Charles (1930–2004) was an American musician and actor. He appeared in numerous film and television productions, often in cameo roles as himself or similar characters.

His screen credits include the role of Ray in *The Blues Brothers* (1980). He also guest-starred as himself or a version of himself in series such as *Moonlighting* (1985), *Who's the Boss?* (1984), *The Nanny* (1993), *Wings* (1990) and *St. Elsewhere* (1982).

Charles was born in Albany, Georgia, and died in Beverly Hills, California.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, rottentomatoes.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

### Performed in (3)

- *Moonlighting* (1985), Fi1m 82, as Ray Charles — [page](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md)
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), Fi1m 78, as Arthur Tibbits — [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)
- *The Blues Brothers* (1980), Fi1m 81, as Ray — [page](https://film.one/film/the-blues-brothers.md)

### Crew (1) — the average rests on these

- *In the Heat of the Night* (1967), Fi1m 85, Vocals — [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-heat-of-the-night.md)

## Complete filmography (19)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *CATFISH* (2024), Music
- *Blue's Big Musical Movie* (2000), as G-Clef (voice)
- *Spy Hard* (1996), as Busdriver
- *Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice* (1994), Actor
- *The Nanny* (1993), series, as Sammy
- *The John Larroquette Show* (1993), series, as Ray Charles
- *Wings* (1990), series, as Ray Charles
- *Limit Up* (1989), as Julius
- *Legends of Rock 'n' Roll* (1989), as Ray Charles
- *Moonlighting* (1985), series, as Ray Charles — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md)
- *Who's the Boss?* (1984), series, as Ray Charles
- *Salute to Lady Liberty* (1984), Actor
- *Ray Charles: A Man & His Soul* (1983), as Ray Charles
- *St. Elsewhere* (1982), series, as Arthur Tibbits — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/st-elsewhere.md)
- *The Blues Brothers* (1980), as Ray — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-blues-brothers.md)
- *The Smothers Brothers Show* (1975), series, Actor
- *Albert, the Rockefeller* (1968), series, as Theme Song Performance
- *In the Heat of the Night* (1967), as Vocals — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-heat-of-the-night.md)
- *Cosmic Ray* (1962), Music

## Gallery

- ![Ray Charles](https://film.one/media/person/117528/gallery-6bf39f893099.jpg) Ray Charles — William Morris Agency (management)/Photo by Maurice Seymour, New York., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Ray_Charles_classic_piano_pose.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Ray Charles sur la scène du Festival de Sully (2023)](https://film.one/media/person/117528/gallery-87a812b4e5ce.jpg) Ray Charles sur la scène du Festival de Sully (2023) — FestivaldeSully, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/1992_Ray_Charles.jpg/1280px-1992_Ray_Charles.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Aankomst Ray Charles (kop) op Schiphol Datum : 5 oktober 1968 Locatie ](https://film.one/media/person/117528/gallery-32ff54aaae0f.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Aankomst Ray Charles (kop) op Schiphol Datum : 5 oktober 1968 Locatie  — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Aankomst_Ray_Charles_%28kop%29_op_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_921-7410.jpg/1280px-Aankomst_Ray_Charles_%28kop%29_op_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_921-7410.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Aankomst Ray Charles (kop) op Schiphol Ray Charles Datum : 5 oktober 1 (1968)](https://film.one/media/person/117528/gallery-3dc2fd9b64b3.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Aankomst Ray Charles (kop) op Schiphol Ray Charles Datum : 5 oktober 1 (1968) — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Aankomst_Ray_Charles_%28kop%29_op_Schiphol_Ray_Charles%2C_Bestanddeelnr_921-7411.jpg/1280px-Aankomst_Ray_Charles_%28kop%29_op_Schiphol_Ray_Charles%2C_Bestanddeelnr_921-7411.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ray Charles](https://film.one/media/person/117528/gallery-b96ab0280c5e.jpg) Ray Charles — Image via TMDB
- ![Ray Charles](https://film.one/media/person/117528/gallery-f59eca72bc3a.jpg) Ray Charles — Image via TMDB
- ![Interviewing musician Ray Charles for BBC Radio in 1966 (2006)](https://film.one/media/person/117528/gallery-0eebd5710a74.jpg) Interviewing musician Ray Charles for BBC Radio in 1966 (2006) — Chosenman95, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Andrew_Salkey_with_Ray_Charles_BBC_1966.jpg/1280px-Andrew_Salkey_with_Ray_Charles_BBC_1966.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Bo Diddley's guitar at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Flickr Tags: ohio guitar cleveland instrument bodiddley rockandrollhalloffame. Flickr  (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/117528/gallery-8674c2d5d030.jpg) Bo Diddley's guitar at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Flickr Tags: ohio guitar cleveland instrument bodiddley rockandrollhalloffame. Flickr  (2014) — Sam Howzit, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Bo_Diddley%27s_Guitar_-_Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame_%282014-12-30_11.42.34_by_Sam_Howzit%29.jpg/1280px-Bo_Diddley%27s_Guitar_-_Rock_and_Roll_Hall_of_Fame_%282014-12-30_11.42.34_by_Sam_Howzit%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 10 won

- Blues Hall of Fame 2019: Blues Hall of Fame (won), for *I've Got a Woman*
- Polar Music Prize 1998: Polar Music Prize (won)
- lifetime achievement award 1993: lifetime achievement award (won)
- National Medal of Arts 1993: National Medal of Arts (won)
- Florida Artists Hall of Fame 1992: Florida Artists Hall of Fame (won)
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 1988: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (won)
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres 1986: Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (won)
- Kennedy Center Honors 1986: Kennedy Center Honors (won)
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1986: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (won)
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1981: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ray-charles