Editing Ray Charles (section)

==Personal life==
Charles stated in his 1978 autobiography, ''Brother Ray: Ray Charles' Own Story'', that he became hooked on women after losing his virginity at 12 years old to a woman about 20. "Cigarettes and smack [heroin] are the two truly addictive habits I've known. You might add women," he said. "My obsession centers on women—did then [when young] and does now. I can't leave them alone," he added.<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine|date=November 30, 1978|title=Ray Charles' Own Book Reveals He|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fr8DAAAAMBAJ&q=ray+charles&pg=PA24|magazine=Jet|volume=55|issue=11|pages=22–24, 60–62|access-date=November 19, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508045405/https://books.google.com/books?id=fr8DAAAAMBAJ&q=ray+charles&pg=PA24#v=snippet&q=ray%20charles&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Relationships and children===
Charles was married twice. His first marriage lasted less than a year, his second 22 years. Throughout his life, Charles had many relationships with women, and he fathered a dozen children.

Charles was married to his first wife, Eileen Williams, from July 31, 1951 until sometime in 1952.

He met his second wife, Della Beatrice Howard Robinson (called "Bea" by Charles), in Texas in 1954. They married the following year, on April 5, 1955. Their first child, Ray Charles Robinson Jr., was born in 1955. Charles was not in town for the birth because he was playing a show in Texas. The couple had two more sons, David and Robert. They raised their children in [[View Park–Windsor Hills, California|View Park, California]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Robinson|first=Louie|date=October 1974|title=The Enduring Genius of Ray Charles|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JN4DAAAAMBAJ&q=view+park&pg=PA125|journal=Ebony|page=125|access-date=November 19, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508045413/https://books.google.com/books?id=JN4DAAAAMBAJ&q=view+park&pg=PA125#v=snippet&q=view%20park&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Charles felt that his heroin addiction took a toll on Della during their marriage.<ref name="Autobio" /> Due to his drug addiction, extramarital affairs on tours and volatile behavior, the marriage deteriorated and she filed for divorce in 1977.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newswirl.com/della-beatrice-howard-robinson/|title=Della Beatrice Howard Robinson|date=December 30, 2017|website=NewSwirl|language=en-US|access-date=November 18, 2019|archive-date=June 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626085007/https://www.newswirl.com/della-beatrice-howard-robinson/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Charles had a six-year-long affair with [[Margie Hendrix]], one of the original Raelettes, and in 1959 they had a son, Charles Wayne. His affair with Mae Mosley Lyles resulted in a daughter, Renee, born in 1961. In 1963, Charles had another daughter, Sheila Ray Charles, by Sandra Jean Betts. Sheila Raye, like her father, was a singer-songwriter; she died of breast cancer on June 15, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lasentinel.net/ray-charles-daughter-sheila-raye-charles-succumbs-to-breast-cancer.html|title=Ray Charles' Daughter Sheila Raye Charles Succumbs to Breast Cancer|date=June 22, 2017|access-date=March 4, 2023|archive-date=March 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230304185349/https://lasentinel.net/ray-charles-daughter-sheila-raye-charles-succumbs-to-breast-cancer.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1977, Charles had a child with his Parisian lover, Arlette Kotchounian, whom he had met ten years earlier.<ref name=":3">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5v1pSAHAEa0C&pg=PP1|title=Ray Charles: Birth of Soul|last=Evans|first=Mike|date=2009|publisher=Omnibus|isbn=978-0-85712-051-9|location=London|access-date=November 19, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508045331/https://books.google.com/books?id=5v1pSAHAEa0C&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Charles' longtime girlfriend and partner at the time of his death was Norma Pinella.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RSGhEUq5bp0C&q=norma+pinella+ray+charles&pg=PA176|title=Icons of Black America: Breaking Barriers and Crossing Boundaries [3 volumes]: Breaking Barriers and Crossing Boundaries [Three Volumes]|last=Whitaker|first=Matthew|publisher=ABC-CLIO|page=176|year=2011|isbn=978-0-313-37643-6|language=en|access-date=November 19, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508045558/https://books.google.com/books?id=RSGhEUq5bp0C&q=norma+pinella+ray+charles&pg=PA176|url-status=live}}</ref>

Charles fathered a total of 12 children with 10 different women:<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EqFUCAAAQBAJ&q=Louise+Mitchell+ray+charles+1950&pg=PP15|title=Ray Charles|last=Pennington|first=Karlton|publisher=Lulu Press, Inc|year=2013|isbn=978-1-304-15125-4|language=en}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

* Evelyn Robinson, born in 1949 (daughter with Louise Flowers)
* Ray Charles Robinson Jr., born May 25, 1955 (son with wife Della Bea Robinson)
* David Robinson, born in 1958 (son with wife Della Bea Robinson)
* Charles Wayne Hendricks, born on October 1, 1959 (son with Margie Hendricks, one of the Raelettes)<ref name=":3" />
* Robert Robinson, born in 1960 (son with wife Della Bea Robinson)
* Renee Robinson, born in 1961 (daughter with Mae Mosely Lyles)
* Sheila Robinson, born in 1963 (daughter with Sandra Jean Betts)
* Reatha Butler, born in 1966
* Alexandra Bertrand, born in 1968 (daughter with Mary-Chantal Bertrand)
* Vincent Kotchounian, born in 1977 (son with Arlette Kotchounian)
* Robyn Moffett, born in 1978 (daughter with Gloria Moffett)
* Ryan Corey Robinson den Bok, born in 1987 (son with Mary Anne den Bok)<ref name=":4" />

Charles held a family luncheon for his 12 children in 2002, 10 of whom attended. He told them he was terminally ill and that $500,000 had been placed in trusts for each of them, to be paid out over the next five years.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ray Charles' children battle over his legacy|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-raycharles20apr20-story.html|first=Michael A.|last=Hiltzik|date=April 20, 2008|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=June 2, 2020|archive-date=April 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407110621/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-raycharles20apr20-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Drug abuse and legal problems===
At 18, Charles first tried [[marijuana]] when he played in McSon Trio and was eager to try it as he thought it helped musicians create music and tap into their [[creativity]]. He later became addicted to [[heroin]] for seventeen years.<ref name=":7" /> Charles was first arrested in 1955, when he and his bandmates were caught backstage with loose marijuana and drug paraphernalia, including a burnt spoon, syringe, and needle. The arrest did not deter his drug use, which only escalated as he became more successful and made more money.<ref name="Lydon Riverhead" />

In 1958, Charles was arrested on a [[Harlem]] street corner for possession of narcotics and equipment for administering heroin.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=December 4, 1958|title=Singer Ray Charles Jailed on Dope Charge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f0EDAAAAMBAJ&q=ray+charles+arrested+jet+1958&pg=PA57|magazine=Jet|volume=15|issue=5|page=57|access-date=November 19, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508045332/https://books.google.com/books?id=f0EDAAAAMBAJ&q=ray+charles+arrested+jet+1958&pg=PA57#v=snippet&q=ray%20charles%20arrested%20jet%201958&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref>

Charles was arrested on a [[narcotics]] charge on November 14, 1961, while waiting in an Indiana hotel room before a performance. The detectives seized heroin, marijuana, and other items.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=November 30, 1961|title=Ray Charles Nabbed On Dope Charge, Wants To 'Take Cure'|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KLMDAAAAMBAJ&q=ray+charles+arrested+jet+1961&pg=PA58|journal=Jet|pages=58–59|access-date=November 19, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508045343/https://books.google.com/books?id=KLMDAAAAMBAJ&q=ray+charles+arrested+jet+1961&pg=PA58#v=snippet&q=ray%20charles%20arrested%20jet%201961&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> Charles, then 31, said he had been a drug addict since the age of 16. The case was dismissed because of the manner in which the evidence was obtained,<ref name="pc16">{{cite web|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19765/m1|title=Show 16 – The Soul Reformation|website=unt.edu|publisher=[[University of North Texas]]|access-date=September 18, 2010|archive-date=January 12, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112103904/http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19765/m1/|url-status=live}}</ref> but Charles' situation did not improve until a few years later.

On [[Halloween]] 1964, Charles was arrested for possession of heroin at [[Boston]]'s [[Logan Airport]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.superlawyers.com/massachusetts/article/saving-ray-charles/fe67801d-057d-4b2a-8f71-eb083e313f91.html|title=Saving Ray Charles - Super Lawyers Massachusetts|last=Bordowitz|first=Hank|date=August 24, 2015|website=Super Lawyers|language=en|access-date=November 18, 2019|archive-date=June 28, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628004638/https://www.superlawyers.com/massachusetts/article/saving-ray-charles/fe67801d-057d-4b2a-8f71-eb083e313f91.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He decided to quit heroin and entered St. Francis Hospital in [[Lynwood, California]], where he endured four days of [[cold turkey]] withdrawal. Following his self-imposed stay, he pleaded guilty to four narcotic charges. Prosecutors called for two years in prison and a hefty fine, but the judge listened to Charles' psychiatrist, Dr. Hacker's account of Charles' determination to get off drugs and he was sent to [[McLean Hospital]] in [[Belmont, Massachusetts]].<ref name="McLean">{{cite news|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2002-01-06-0201060272-story.html|title=More than Just a Celebrity Psych Ward|last1=Turner|first1=M.A.|date=January 6, 2002|newspaper=Hartford Courant|access-date=February 3, 2019|archive-date=August 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820013749/https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2002-01-06-0201060272-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The judge offered to postpone the verdict for a year if Charles agreed to undergo regular examinations by government-appointed physicians. When Charles returned to court, he received a five-year [[suspended sentence]], four years of probation, and a fine of $10,000.<ref name=":2" />

Charles responded to the saga of his drug use and reform with the songs "[[I Don't Need No Doctor]]" and "[[Let's Go Get Stoned]]" and the release of ''[[Crying Time (album)|Crying Time]]'', his first album since kicking his heroin addiction in 1966.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blackdoctor.org/272450/ray-charles-drug-addiction__trashed/ |title=Ray Charles: Lessons From His Life & Death |website=BlackDoctor.org |access-date=March 16, 2017 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403023009/https://blackdoctor.org/272450/ray-charles-drug-addiction__trashed/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/ray-charles-about-ray-charles/554/|title= About Ray Charles|website= PBS.org|date= May 17, 2006|access-date= March 16, 2017|archive-date= June 9, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230609155005/https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/ray-charles-about-ray-charles/554/|url-status= live}}</ref>

===Chess hobby===
Charles enjoyed playing chess. As part of his therapy when he quit heroin, he met with psychiatrist {{ill|Friedrich Hacker|de}}, who taught him how to play chess.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=chj91X0dWzUC&q=heroin+ray+charles+1966&pg=PA44|title=Icons of Rock: An Encyclopedia of the Legends Who Changed Music Forever|last1=Schinder|first1=Scott|last2=Schwartz|first2=Andy|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2007|isbn=978-0-313-33845-8|page=44|language=en|access-date=November 19, 2020|archive-date=May 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508045407/https://books.google.com/books?id=chj91X0dWzUC&q=heroin+ray+charles+1966&pg=PA44|url-status=live}}</ref> He used a special board with raised squares and holes for the pieces. When questioned if people try to cheat against a blind man, he joked in reply, "You can't cheat in Chess... I'm gonna see that!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=81063&kpage=1#reply22|title=The chess games of Ray Charles|publisher=Chessgames.com|access-date=December 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007021455/http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=81063&kpage=1#reply22 |archive-date=October 7, 2014}}</ref> In a 1991 concert, he referred to Willie Nelson as "my chess partner".<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Charles, Ray |date=2005 |title=[[Genius & Friends]] |medium=CD |publisher=[[Atlantic Records]]|location=Burbank, California|time=Track 13 2:22}}</ref> In 2002, he played and lost to the American [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmaster]] and former U.S. champion [[Larry Evans (chess grandmaster)|Larry Evans]]. When Evans complimented him for spotting a tactical trap he had set, Charles replied "Come on man, I play bad, but not ''that'' bad!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6814|title=Chess News – GM Larry Melvyn Evans (1932–2010)|date=November 17, 2010|publisher=ChessBase.com|access-date=December 30, 2011|archive-date=November 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109160545/http://chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6814|url-status=live}}</ref>