Ray Charles was not only a brilliant performer at his trademark piano, a savvy businessman who took unprecedented control of his career and a musical pioneer who forged a path for others to follow...but he was also a man in search of his own redemption. The same childhood tragedy that inspired Ray Charles to create so feverishly also haunted his every move until he was able to finally face his past. Ray Charles' movie portrays the life of this legend.

Says Taylor Hackford (the director of Ray Charles' movie): "Ray Charles' life was an absolutely fantastic journey. In this film I wanted to present the complexity of this American genius, warts and all. Ray had immense courage and brilliance, but his life also contained horrible tragedy and elusive demons. With Ray we have tried to show the evolution of an artist through an incredible period of cultural change. I hope people see through this film that Ray Charles is so much more than a musician of the past. He influenced a vibrant, cultural revolution in America that is still going on today." In an interview a few months before his death, the legend said about the Ray Charles' movie: "I can see that Taylor's done his homework. He's got my life down pretty good. I would like for the people to understand the trials and tribulations that I've gone through from when I was a little kid up until I really got into my career and all the different things that happened to me over the years..."

Throughout the entire process of making Ray Charles' movie, he was more than cooperative, insisting at every turn that the filmmakers never shy away from the darker parts of his reality. "Ray actually said, 'You can tell any story you want and you can make me look any way you want, but I will not let you not tell the truth, because that wouldn't be right,'" explains Hackford. This type of reality makes Ray Charles' movie more captivating.

Jamie Foxx, who plays Ray in Ray Charles' movie is enjoying success in a multifaceted career that already encompasses dramatic roles in films and television, as well as stand-up comedy and music. Though previously best known for his comedy work, his emergence as a leading dramatic actor is evidenced in his most recent and upcoming roles. In preparation for the Ray Charles movie, he adapted many of Ray Charles' physical characteristics and immersed himself in soul, jazz and blues. In fact, Ray Charles' movie is remarkable because Jamie Foxx was extremely dedicated to imitating the personality and characteristics of Ray Charles. He even spent weeks during rehearsal and production of Ray Charles' movie walking around with his eyes sealed tight for 12 hours a day, to gain an intimate understanding of what it really means be blind.


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