Meet Ray Charles’ 12 children: who are they and where are they now?
Ray Charles Robinson is an American singer, songwriter, composer and pianist best known as "The Genius". He is famously known for his songs such as Hit the Road Jack and hit records done by Atlantic Records company. Ray was also a family man with many children. Here is everything you need to know about Ray Charles' 12 Children.
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Ray Charles is regarded as one of history's most iconic and influential singers whose hit records dominated the music charts from the '50s to '80s. His successful career spans from 1945 to when he bowed out in 2004, with several Grammys and other Awards, including the life achievement Grammy Award he received in 1987. How many biological children did Ray Charles have? He had 12 biological kids.
Who is Ray Charles?
He is a famous American singer born on 23 September 1930 in Albany, Georgia, United States of America, to Aretha and Bailey Robinson.
Ray Charles had a very difficult childhood, culminating in him losing sight at the age of 4 or 5 and going blind by the age of seven. He also lost his younger brother George who drowned in his mother's bathtub at 4.
Charles later said the deaths of his brother and Mother were "the two tragedies" of his life which led to him dropping out of school and joining the music entertainment industry at the young age of 14 years.
Meet Ray Charles' 12 children
Ray Charles got married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage to Eileen Williams only lasted a year, from July 1951 to 1952 and bore no child. His second marriage was to Della Beatrice Howard Robinson from 1955 to 1977.
How many illegitimate children did Ray Charles have? The official sources mention and acknowledge 12 kids with ten different women.
Three children of the 12 were borne by his 2nd wife, Della Bea Robinson. The rest were born out of affairs with different women. Below are details about Ray Charles' children and their various endeavours.
1. Evelyn Robinson
Evelyn is the oldest of Ray Charles' kids, born in 1950. Her mother's name is Louise Flowers. Evelyn has excelled as a success coach and an event and travel manager.
Additionally, Evelyn Robinson has experience as a Health and Wellness Consultant, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. manager, and Software Engineer/Systems Analyst at Verizon.
She pursued her education at The George Washington University School of Business, earning a Masters Certificate in Project Management. Presently, she resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
2. Ray Charles Jr.
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Ray was born Ray Charles Robinson Jr on 25 May 1955. His mother is Della Bea Robinson. Ray currently works in the entertainment industry.
He is a film producer, writer and the co-author of Ray Charles: 50 Years of Music. He also appeared in a film named Chernyy Prints in 2004.
Ray currently lives in Los Angeles with his partner Rhonda Bailey. He has two daughters named Erin and Blair and a granddaughter named Kennedy. He is also dedicated to assisting those in need in his community, particularly those suffering from addiction.
3. David Robinson
David was born in Los Angeles in 1958. He is the younger brother of Ray Charles Jr. and the second son of Ray Charles and his second wife, Della Bea Robinson.
David is married to his long-time girlfriend, Synthia Robinson. Sgt. Conrad Robinson, the couple's only son, died at the age of 36 at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo.
4. Charles Wayne Hendricks
Charles was born in October 1959. His mother is the long-term girlfriend of the musician Maggie Hendrix a popular American gospel singer, group leader and member of the girl gospel group the Raelettes.
Charles lived out of the public eye for his entire life and passed away in 2013. His obituary mentions that Charles married Marlene Hendricks of Aurora, Colorado and is survived by several children and grandchildren.
5. Robert F. Robinson
Robert was born on 17 April 1961. He is the 4th son of legendary singer Ray Charles. He is also the youngest of Ray's kids with his second wife Della Bea Robinson.
Robert attended various Christian schools and a prestigious Aviation school in Los Angeles, winning numerous accolades and awards. He landed a job as an instructor and teacher with one of the top-rated Aviation schools in the country.
In 1988, he left teaching to concentrate on ministry. Now known as Dr. Robert F. Robinson, Sr., he is the pastor of Great Faith Ministries and Schools.
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6. Raenee Robinson
Renee was born in 1961. Her mother is Mae Mosley Lyles. Renee, 62, is currently employed as a Tax Repairer, Legal Shield, and Credit Repairer. She resides in Los Angeles, California, with her photographer husband, Kevin.
7. Sheila Robinson
Sheila was born in September 1963 to Sandra Jean Bettes. Sheila Robinson and her mother settled in Minnesota. Even though she didn't spend much time with her father, she treasured the moments she had with him. Sheila battled substance addiction just like her father.
In her words, she said she survived addiction, imprisonment, a car wreck and sexual abuse. She attributed her salvation to finding God to have changed her life dramatically.
Sheila married Michael Steptoe and became a singer-songwriter, with her debut album released in 2005, a tribute to her father, Ray Charles, titled My Daddy. She moved to Sarasota, Florida, where she succumbed to breast cancer on 15 June 2017 at the age of 53 years.
8. Reatha Butler
Reatha Butler was born in 1966. She owns Real Estate Pro. based in Payton, Colorado and Falcon, Colorado. Reatha Butler's age is 57 years old, and she is the older sister to Alexandra Bertrand. She is described as very private regarding her personal life and chooses to stay out of the spotlight.
9. Alexandra Bertrand
Alexandra Bertand was born in 1968 to Mary Chantal Bertand. She is the younger sister to Reatha Butler. Little is known about her personal life. She is described as living a very private life. Alexandra Bertrand is currently 55 years old.
10. Vincent Kotchounian
Vincent was born to Arlette Kotchounian in 1977 in Los Angeles, USA. Vincent Kotchounian is currently 46 years old; he is both American and Armenian.
He studied at the University of South California (USC) and has worked as a fitness trainer at INT, MMA GYM and is credited to have designed a cover for his father's music album.
He grew more interested in his Armenian roots and decided to live the Armenian lifestyle and chose to live out of the limelight.
11. Robyn Moffett
Robyn is personally known as Robyn LaJoya Moffett while professionally known as Robyn LaJoya Charles. She was born in 1978, in the West Side, Chicago, Illinois, to Gloria Moffett.
Robyn is a former singer-songwriter at A-Class Productions in Atlanta, Georgia. She owns R. Charles &Co. Enterprises, a Music Publishing and Consulting company founded in 2015.
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She attended John Casablancas of Chicago and signed a 12 months contract with MTM, Chicago. Robyn Moffett also attended Columbia College, Chicago, with a concentration of academics: vocal performance, Music Business Management and Entertainment Marketing.
Robyn is a mother to a daughter Avari Rhaen.
12. Ryan Corey Robinson Den Bok
Ryan Corey is Ray Charles' youngest child, born in 1987 to Mary Anne Den Bok. Ryan Corey Robinson is into music and has done several covers.
FAQs
- Who is Ray Charles? He was an American singer, songwriter, pianist and alto saxophonist.
- How many kids did Ray Charles have? He fathered a total of 12 children with ten different women.
- Who are Ray Charles' baby mamas? His baby mamas are Louise Flowers, Margie Hendricks, Mae Mosely Lyles, Sandra Jean Betts, Mary Chantal Bertrand, Arlette Kotchounian, Gloria Moffett and Mary Anne den Bok.
- Did Ray Charles have any children with his first wife? No. His first marriage to Eileen Williams only lasted a year, and they had no kids.
- How many illegitimate children did Ray Charles have? He had nine kids who were born out of wedlock. They are Evelyn, Charles Wayne, Renee, Sheila, Reatha, Alexandra, Vincent, Robyn and Ryan.
- Who did Ray Charles leave his money to? He left most of his money and real estate to the Ray Charles Foundation, a charity that helps people who are blind or deaf. Another portion went to the $500,000 trust funds he established for each of his 12 children.
- What was Ray Charles' net worth? The singer had a net worth of $75 million at his death.
From Ray Charles’ 12 children two passed away (Charles Wayne Hendricks and Sheila Robinson). The remaining ten kids still carry on their father's legacy with the youngest being 36 years old as of 2023.
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