The historical marker reads as follows:
RAY CHARLES CHILDHOOD HOME
"This house is a reconstruction of the home where musician Ray Charles (1930-2004) lived with his mother, Aretha Williams, and adopted grandmother, Margaret "Muh" Robinson, shortly after his birth in 1930 until about the age of five. "RC," as Ray was known by his friends, received his first piano instruction from Wiley Pitman, owner of the nearby Red Wing Cafe. Ray and his mother later moved into a small house behind the cafe. At age seven, Ray's sight failed and he was sent to the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine. The modest wood frame vernacular house he grew up in was probably constructed in the 1920s. It had no electricity or indoor plumbing. Meals were prepared on a wood-burning stove. A hand-primed pump supplied water from a well next to the house. A fireplace in one of the four small rooms provided warmth, and open windows and doors allowed breezes to cool the house. Because of advanced deterioration, the abandoned house was scheduled for demolition. In 2006, the Town of Greenville purchased the structure to preserve the memory of Ray Charles. With a grant from the Florida Bureau of Historic Preservation, the Town completed the reconstruction of the house in 2008."
From the WCTV website:
"Today, September 23rd [2009], singer Ray Charles would have turned 79. And the city of Greenville honored its hometown hero."
His childhood home has been completely restored and is now officially recognized as a historical landmark.
Dozens of folks from all over the Big Bend gathered in Greenville this morning for the unveiling of Ray Charles childhood home. The project has been in the works for decades and for many the event brought back memories of their own childhood with a friend they call "RC."
Rotted, crumbling, and completely unlivable. Folks in Greenville pulled this shack from the path of demolition in the honor of a musical genius.
"Oh it's a great relief and extensive fulfillment for the community to see that we are trying to honor our own native son," said Jim Parrish, Greenville's Projects Consultant.
The Childhood home of Ray Charles was scheduled to be destroyed three years ago but thanks to the hard work and dedication of a city, it now stands completely restored and hopefully will give Greenville a boost in tourism.
"People are going to come from all over the world to see that house and to see that statue," said Mickey Adair, who photographed Ray Charles.
"It put Greenville on the map. No one knew where Greenville was. No one before I got started trying to preserve the legacy of Ray Charles here in Greenville," said Elesta Pritchett, Greenville Mayor and Childhood friend of Charles.
Folks came from all over to see the modest wood home where Charles spent the first part of his life and for many the day was more about found memories of a childhood playmate rather than an old house.
"I've never seen him look sad or have a sad expression. He always had that smile. And I said, for somebody who had all the odds against them, so to speak, to have that kind of attitude and that kind of drive, should be an inspiration to all of us," said Lucile Day, Charles' childhood friend.
An inspiration that surely now, has Greenville on his mind.
The following information about Ray Charles is from Wikipedia:
"Ray Charles, born Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 - June 10, 2004) was an American musician. Charles was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm & blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings for Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. During his tenure with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company."
"In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on their list of "The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time", and voted him number two on their November 2008 list of "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time".