Ray Charles

Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.

I was born with music inside me. It was a force like no other. It compelled me. My parents, my siblings, they saw it. They felt it. I was a vessel for something divine.

There are a lot of ways to say 'I love you.' But to sing it, that's a whole other thing.

I don't believe in genres. I believe in music.

I never wanted to be famous. I just wanted to be good.

You can't be a legend if you don't have a good story to tell.

I don't sing anything I don't believe in.

My mother told me, 'You're blind, not stupid.' And that stuck with me.

I'm a musician. I play music. That's what I do. And I love it.

I've been through a lot in my life, but music has always been there for me.

I don't think about being blind. I just think about making music.

I'm not a religious man, but I believe in God. And I believe in music.

The blues is a feeling. It's not a color. It's not a race. It's a feeling.

I don't try to be anybody else. I just try to be me.

If you don't feel it, don't sing it.

I'm just a country boy who got lucky.

I've always been a rebel. I've always done things my own way.

I don't care what people think of me. I just care about the music.

You gotta have soul. If you don't have soul, you ain't got nothing.

I never thought I'd live this long. But I'm glad I did.