Ray Charles Quotes & Sayings

“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. It was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me - like food or water.”

“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.”

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

“I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.”

“I suppose I've always done my share of crying, especially when there's no other way to contain my feelings. I know that men ain't supposed to cry, but I think that's wrong. Crying's always been a way for me to get things out which are buried deep, deep down. When I sing, I often cry. Crying is feeling, and feeling is being human. Oh yes, I cry.”

“To me, music is entertainment - what else can it be? In fact, it's the only language I know of that's universal.”

“People couldn't understand why my mama would have this blind kid out doing things like cutting wood for the fire. But her thing was: He may be blind, but he ain't stupid.”

“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.”

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

“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.'”