Musician Ray Charles, born Ray Charles Robinson, shoots to stardom in the 1950s as a pianist and singer with a unique sound incorporating rhythm and blues, gospel music, rock and roll, country, jazz, and orchestral pop. Growing up in the 1930s in Northern Florida, Ray experienced two tragedies: first, his younger brother drowned to death; and second, Ray lost his eyesight due to glaucoma. Despite those setbacks, and growing up as an African American in the segregated South, Ray pursues his ambitions with a workaholic zeal. He tours the “Chitlin’ Circuit,” a network of African-American-friendly nightclubs throughout the South, the East Coast and parts of the Midwest. At first he sings in the crooner style, but his music and vocals develop into a raucous hybrid of many genres. He struggles with a temporary addiction to heroin, and regularly cheats on his wife, Bea. One of his affairs, with backup singer Margie Hendrix, leads to onstage tension when Ray refuses to leave his wife for Margie. While he gains critical and commercial success, he also advocates for himself as a shrewd and sometimes mistrusting businessman. This causes rifts with some bandmates, his road manager Jeff Brown, and other employees. However, Ray unflaggingly honors his musical genius by continuing to write hit songs and innovate his sound.