Ray Charles was born in a poor predominantly black town in central Florida. He went blind at the age of 7. With the staunch support of his determined single mother, he developed a fierce resolve. He had wit and incredible talent which would eventually enable him to overcome not only Jim Crow racism and the cruel prejudices against the blind, but also discover his own sound which revolutionized American popular music. Nonetheless, as Ray's unprecedented fame grew, so did his weakness for drugs and women, until they threatened to strip away the very things he held most dear.