Ray Charles (elder)

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This page is about Ray Charles, composer and conductor of The Ray Charles Singers. For information about the pianist and soul singer, see Ray Charles.

Ray Charles is the stage name of Charles Raymond Offenberg (born September 13, 1918, in Chicago, Illinois), an American musician, songwriter, and vocal conductor. He is best known for a series of easy listening record albums which he produced in the 1950s and 1960s as the Ray Charles Singers. This vocal group also sang backup on most of the recordings of Perry Como from 1950 to 1985, and Charles and his singers also appeared with Como in his live performances and on television for 35 years. He, along with Julie Rinker Miller, sing the theme song to the television series Three's Company ("Come and Knock on Our Door"). In 1947 he conducted the Broadway production and original cast recording of "Finian's Rainbow".

He is sometimes known humorously as "The Other Ray Charles" to distinguish him from the great soul musician of the same name.

The Ray Charles Singers had a number of hit singles and albums, most notably "Love Me with All Your Heart" in 1964.

As a songwriter, Charles is best known for the choral anthem "Fifty Nifty United States," in which he set the names of the states to music in alphabetical order and "Letters, We Get Letters", which was originally written for the Perry Como Show and was later used on the David Letterman show. He also wrote some Christmas songs and other special musical material associated with Como. He was choral conductor/arranger for "Your Hit Parade" from 1950 to 1957. He also worked in television with Bob Hope, Gene Kelly, Bing Crosby, Glen Campbell, Julie Andrews, John Denver, Frank Sinatra and the Muppets. among others. He has received two Emmy Awards for special musical material, music and lyrics, for 2 TV specials: "The Funny Side of Marriage" and "The First Nine Months". For 14 years he served as musical consultant on the PBS "Memorial Day" and "Capitol Fourth" concerts. He continues to serve as a musical consultant to television programs, most notably for the lasts 24 years on the Kennedy Center Honors.

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