Ray Charles Memorial Library In Los Angeles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles, a musician and an artist. A pioneer in the genre of soul music in the 1950s, by fusing rhythm and blues gospel and blues and integrating country and pop music into his style during the 1960s, Ray Charles was one of the appreciated American artists of the 20th century, whose reputation and success made it possible for an opening of a memorial library in his honor.
The Ray Charles Memorial Library is housed in the studio and office building which he built in South Los Angeles in the 1960s. The library features interactive exhibits about the musician’s life and career, transforming it more into an interactive museum than in a library.
Quincy Jones, B.B. King, producer Jimmy Jam and filmmaker Taylor Hackford, Ray Charles’ friends and colleagues are introducing every room of the library, speaking about his life and career. The library also features modern media that makes it possible for his hits to be listened to by the visitors, while exhibitions found here display his Grammy awards, stage costumes, old contracts and his ever-present sunglasses. His personal piano and saxophone, his collection of microphones and letters he received from Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Johnny Cash constitute other attractions of teh library, which fans will be very happy to see when visiting the location. Moreover, they are offered the opportunity to create new music starting from his singles, using the mixing station in the library. The karaoke room is going to be another appealing to visitors section, as they will be able to sing along with Charles and the Raelettes.
The Library has come into being due to Charles’ charitable foundation, established by Ray Charles himself in 1986 to serve the hearing impaired. This foundation came into being because of his belief that not being able to hear music is a real handicap. The reason for this belief might be his blindness at an early age, which made him turn to music and find sight into his musical creations. Thus, when he died in 2004, he left his intellectual property and some million cash to his foundation to carry on his dreams. The Ray Charles Foundation has now transformed his desired into high purposes: offering grants to support hearing disorder and educational causes, through the library the foundation also wants to educate and inspire impaired children who do not study art in schools any more.
Therefore, the Library will be open exclusively to school children by invitation only, access to general public to be granted somewhere next year. Until then, the public might enjoya 10-track compilation of Charles rare songs, entitled “Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters”, which will be released this October.
Six years after his death, the Library is an homage brought to the artist who crossed the racial boundaries and created a timeless music that people are still listening to every day. Moreover, as the aim of the Library and of his foundation is to help those who need it, Ray Charles has proved that he was an artist convinced that music is the type of art which can heal souls and gives people the comfort they really need.
