Cast & creator
Ray Charles
Best known for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Mike Douglas Show, Saturday Night Live
Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.” Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley. I don't know if Ray was the architect of rock & roll, but he was certainly the first guy to do a lot of things . . . Who the hell ever put so many styles together and made it work?"
90
film credits
40
television credits
126
1948–2025 · acting roles
7.2
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (130)
Showing 130 of 130 credits
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self - Co-Host
1961
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host & Musical Guest
1975
The Nanny
Sammy
1993
Sacrée soirée
Self
1987
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
1968
St. Elsewhere
Arthur Tibbits
1982
Champs-Elysées
Self
1982
Wings
Ray Charles
1990
The Carol Burnett Show
Self - Guest
1967
Who's the Boss?
Ray Charles
1984
Le monde est à vous
Self (archive footage)
1987
Moonlighting
Ray Charles
1985
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
The John Larroquette Show
Ray Charles
1993
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self
1956
CMT Crossroads
Self
2002
Kraft Music Hall
Self
1958
The Flip Wilson Show
Self
1970
Victoires de la musique
Self
1985
Albert, the Rockefeller
Theme Song Performance
1968
The Kennedy Center Honors
Self
1978
Star Academy
Self
2001
The Midnight Special
Self
1972
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
Self
1969
Shindig!
Self - Singer
1964
Téléthon
Self
1987
The Hollywood Palace
Self - Singer
1964Unsere kleine Show - Musik zur blauen Stunde
Self
1969
Musikladen
Self
1972
The Johnny Cash Show
Self
1969
Cachitos de hierro y cromo
Self (archive footage)
2013
Super Dave
Self
1987
The Blues Brothers
Ray
1980
Spy Hard
Busdriver
1996Bio’s Bahnhof
Self
1978
Cher
Self
1975
Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters
Self
1980
The Blues
Self
2003
Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music
Self
2005
In the Heat of the Night
Vocals
1967
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
Self (archive footage)
2023
The Greatest Night in Pop
Self (archive footage)
2024
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
Self (archive footage)
2022
Sesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration
Self (segment "Monster in the Mirror")
1993
The Smothers Brothers Show
1975
The Statue of Liberty
Self - Composer
1985Saturday Live
Self
1996
Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music
Self (archive footage)
2025
Love Affair
Self
1994
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration
Self
2001
50 Years of Country Music
Self
1978
Sesame Street: 20 Years & Still Counting! 1969-1989
Self
1989
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
Self (archive footage)
2001
Rat Pack
Self (archive footage)
2022
The World of Jim Henson
Self (archive footage)
1994
Lennon: A Tribute
1990
Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
Self (archive footage)
1994
2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Self (archive footage)
2022
We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song
Self
1985
Ray Alexander: A Taste For Justice
1994
Piano Blues
Self
2003
Lynda Carter's Celebration
Self
1981
Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2023
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
Self (archive footage)
2001
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
Self - Performer
1995They All Came Out to Montreux
Self (archive footage)
2023
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
Self
1978
The Big T.N.T. Show
Self
1965
Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O
Self
1993
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
Self
1990
Blue's Big Musical Movie
G-Clef (voice)
2000
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Self (archive footage)
2004
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
Self (archive footage)
1986
Jazz Evolution
Self - Piano, Vocals
2008Hallelujah Gospel
Self
1983
Legends of Rock 'n' Roll
Ray Charles
1989A Party For Richard Pryor
Self
1991
Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues
Self (archive footage)
2004
Fats Domino: Walking to New Orleans
Self
2007
Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration
Self
1988
Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones
Self
1990
O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar
Self (archive footage)
2009Salute to Lady Liberty
1984
Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
Self (archival footage)
2021Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company
Self
2004
Barbra Streisand... and Other Musical Instruments
Self
1973
Quincy Jones... The First 50 Years
Self
1998
Quincy Jones, Music Man
Self (archive footage)
2025
The Beach Boys: 25 Years Together - A Celebration In Waikiki
Self
1987
Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built
Self
2007Piano Greats at the BBC
Self (archive footage)
2022
Cosmic Ray
Music
1962
I Love Quincy
Self
1984
John Schneider: Back Home
Self
1980
Face of Unity
Self
2014
Rolling With the Blues
Self (archive footage)
2007
Montreux Jazz Festival 1991
Self
1991
The Blues Brothers: Transposing The Music
Self (archive footage)
2005
Merci Dorothée !
Self (archive footage)
2025
CATFISH
Music
2024
Ballad in Blue
Self
1965Billy Joel: Building the Bridge
Self
1986
Limit Up
Julius
1989
Tom Dowd & The Language of Music
Self
2004
Glen Campbell | Good Times Again
Self
2007
Burt Sugarman's The Midnight Special: 1976
Self
2006
Ray Charles - La Salle Pleyel, Paris
Self
1968
Ray Charles: Live at the Olympia
Self
2006Say Hello to Our Good Friend Paul Shaffer
Self (archive footage)
Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin'
Self
2003
The Second Barry Manilow Special
Self
1978
Ray Charles - In Concert
Self
2001
Swingin' Along
Self
1961
Ray Charles: Soul of the Holy Land
Self
2004
Ray Charles: Live: Montreux Jazz Festival
Self
2002
Ray Charles: O-Genio - Live In Brazil 1963
Self
2004
Ray Charles Live - In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony
Self
1981Ray Charles At The North Sea Jazz Festival
Self
1980
The Willie Nelson Special - With Special Guest Ray Charles
Self
2002
Ray Charles: The Legend Lives On
Self
2008
Ray Charles: Angels Keep Watching Over Me
Self
1979
Ray Charles - Live in France 1961
Self
2011Ray Charles: A Man & His Soul
Ray Charles
1983Jazzline - Ray Charles & Orchestra
Self
2012
The Beatles Forever
Self
1977
Fats and Friends
Self
2007
Rockin' Pianos
Self
2004
Ray Charles with the Voices of Jubilation Choir
Self
2006
Ray Charles: Live At Montreux 1997
Self
2008