Yahoo! News - Music Icon Ray Charles Dies in California at Age 73
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Ray Charles, who overcame poverty, blindness and heroin addiction to lay the foundation for soul music and become one of America's most beloved entertainers, died on Thursday at the age of 73 after a long fight with liver disease, his spokesman said.

Quitting school at age 15 after his mother died, Charles moved to Jacksonville, Florida, then on to Seattle to pursue a music career.

Charles came into his own musically in the early 1950s after signing with Atlantic Records, where he recorded the seminal hit "I Got a Woman," popularly credited as the first true soul record ever made.

He went on to collect 13 Grammy Awards during his career, including a lifetime achievement honor in 1987. He played his 10,000th concert last May in Los Angeles and in 2002 celebrated the 40th anniversary of his first hit on the country music charts, "I Can't Stop Loving You."

Thank you for the music Ray.