Ray Charles Man and Music Author:Michael Lydon ( The first comprehensive, definitive biography of Ray Charles ( Based on extensive interviews with Ray Charles himself, as well as more than 150 other sources — ( Includes 16 pages of photos — "Absolutely fresh and compelling. This is a book not just about Ray Charles but about the world that nourished and inspired him. A true revelation."-Pete... more »r Guralnick, author of Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love
"An exhaustively researched, movingly written biography of the man Frank Sinatra once called 'the only genius in our business.'"-People
"Admirable...engrossing...Lydon isn't afraid to peek under those dark glasses and present a complete picture of this phenomenally talented but equally complicated man."-Jeff Turrentine, Forbes
"[Ray Charles] may well be the ultimate American story....Remarkably candid. A scrupulous and perceptive piece of work."-Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post
"This is no quickie pop-star bio. Lydon understands that Ray Charles is a character as complicated as any in fiction and fully as interesting. Dostoevsky might have invented Ray Charles, had he the inspiration."-The Newark Star-Ledger
"Lydon's richly detailed account powerfully evokes his times and context....Essential reading for popular-music fans."-Booklist« less