Ray

Ray is a biographical drama film that tells the story of Ray Charles, a legendary musician who overcame poverty, tragedy, and disability to become one of the greatest soul artists of all time. The film stars Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles and follows his journey from his childhood in Florida to his rise to fame in the music industry. The film begins with Ray's early life, where he is raised by his mother, Aretha, in poverty. Despite the challenges they face, Aretha encourages Ray's love for music and teaches him to be independent. Tragedy strikes when Ray's younger brother George drowns in their mother's washbasin, and Ray loses his vision by age seven. Despite these setbacks, Ray's passion for music continues to grow, and he learns to play piano at an early age. He attends a school for the deaf and blind, where he develops his musical skills further. In 1946, Ray joins a white country band and wears sunglasses to hide his damaged eyes. Two years later, he travels to Seattle and joins a nightclub band. However, the club's owner exploits Ray and demands sexual favors in exchange for his paycheck. After discovering this truth, Ray signs his own record deal and leaves the band. He begins touring on the Chitlin' Circuit as "Ray Charles" and becomes addicted to heroin during this time period too.. His big break comes when Ahmet Ertegun of Atlantic Records discovers him , recording hits like "Mess Around." He falls deeply in love with Della Bea -a preacher’s daughter- whom along with others are unhappy about some choices made my ray such as neglecting responsibilities or cheating them out of money., but ray would soon overcome those challenges just like all others before or after through sheer talent determination alone!

You can stream Ray on: Amazon Prime ⎥ Starz Apple TV Amazon Store Fandango at Home

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as Ray include 8 Mile, High Fidelity, Billy Elliot, Feel The Noise, Kinky Boots, Love Notes.

Ray was released in theaters on October 29, 2004.