Ray Charles Signs with Atlantic Records — Soul Music Is Born

Ray Charles signed with Atlantic Records in 1952 and began producing a series of recordings that fused gospel emotion with blues and jazz, effectively inventing soul music as a genre. His Atlantic recordings including 'I've Got a Woman' (1954) and 'What'd I Say' (1959) are among the most influential records in American music history. Charles's synthesis of sacred and secular musical traditions transformed American popular music and opened the door for soul, funk, and R&B.