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Foxx disappears into ‘Ray,’ earning him coveted Oscar
Ray Charles faced many obstacles in his life, being born into poverty, losing his eyesight and suffering through the loss of his baby brother.
His remarkable rise to fame and fortune through his love for music and his head for negotiation is chronicled in the movie “Ray” starring Jamie Foxx.
Foxx is so convincing as Ray that you’ll forget this is a dramatization of Charles’ life and think you’re watching his actual life unfold. Foxx really earned the Best Actor Oscar.
Charles started playing piano in nightclubs, giving patrons the sound they wanted to hear, mostly renditions of Nat Cole tunes. The blind pianist had more than a few profiteers trying to swindle him by capitalizing on his talent, and soon learned to take care of his own career and direct his musical style.
Along the way, he began a heroin addiction that threatened his freedom, his relationships and even his beloved music.
“Ray” tells the story of Charles’ struggles to overcome his disability, his race in an era when blacks were still discriminated against openly (he was banned from Georgia for taking a stand against segregation), and his poverty.
This smart man refused to be limited, and taught more than a few people about the power of possibility along the way.
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