"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."
-Ray Charles
SocietyView Quote
"Music's been around a long time, and there's going to be music long after Ray Charles is dead. I just want to make my mark, leave something musically good behind. If it's a big record, that's the frosting on the cake, but music's the main meal.“
-Ray Charles
posted in Music
Other Quotes by Ray Charles
Discover more inspiring quotes by Ray Charles
"Music is my life, professionally, for nearly 60 years. To be recognized by the academy is still the highest honor."
-Ray Charles
MusicView Quote
"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."
-Ray Charles
MusicView Quote
"My music had roots which I'd dug up from my own childhood, musical roots buried in the darkest soil."
-Ray Charles
MusicView Quote
"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."
-Ray Charles
MusicView Quote
"Learning to read music in Braille and play by ear helped me develop a damn good memory."
-Ray Charles
LearningView Quote
Same Category
More quotes in this category
"I find that classical music helps put me in a place that is very calming and allows me to express emotion through my body. I played clarinet as a child, so I guess I have a bit of a musical ear."
-Diane Kruger
MusicView Quote
"Music is my living. I enjoy selling my music."
-James Taylor
MusicView Quote
"One time I introduced my orchestra as the Shampoo Music Makers instead of the Champagne Music Makers."
-Lawrence Welk
MusicView Quote
"I grew up with classical music when I was a ballet dancer. Now when I have to prepare an emotional scene, to cry or whatever, I listen to sonatas. Vivaldi and stuff. It's just beautiful to me."
-Diane Kruger
MusicView Quote
"If you think my music is sentimental and self-absorbed, I agree with you."
-James Taylor
MusicView Quote
"The William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh... was the place where Champagne Music was born."
-Lawrence Welk
MusicView Quote