A pioneer of soul, Ray Charles combined blues, gospel, R&B, rock, country music and jazz to create a new genre of American music. Referred to as “Brother Ray” and “the Genius,” Charles had shown an early interest in mechanical object before starting to lose his sight at the age 4 and going completely blind by the age of seven. As a result he was enrolled in the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, where he learned to read music by braille, and…