Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is the celebrity wife of Ray Charles, an African-American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Della lived in a small town but after becoming Ray Charles wife, she enjoyed a luxurious life.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Biography
Source: speeli.com
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson was born in 1929 and spent her childhood in Richmond, Texas, United States. Her husband Ray Charles nicknamed her Bea. Currently, she is 93 years old as of 2022. She shared a son named Ray Charles Jr. with her ex-husband Ray Charles who passed away in 2004 due to liver disease.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson lived in a small cottage spread on the 10 acres of land which were owned by her maternal family. She spent her childhood with her grandmother named Mama Lee and uncle named George.
They used to farm peanuts, potatoes, corn, and cotton together. Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is a practicing Christian as her family built a church called Zion Watchtower on their private property.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson’s parents were not married. Her father moved out and began a relationship with another woman. Her mother on the other hand lived in Houston. Della left Richmond and moved to Houston to live with her mother.
However, the two couldn’t get along as Della was accustomed to living in peace whereas her mother was used to the party life.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Appearance
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson was a beautiful lady with a harmonizing voice. She measured 5 feet 5 inches and weighed 76 kg. She has a stunning dark complexion with brown eyes.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Career
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson began her career by waiting tables. She then joined a gospel group titled Cecil Shaw’s Gospel Group and lived with an elder gospel singer named Ella Dooley. Della then started gaining popularity as she started to sing at concerts and radio shows.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Relationship
Ray Charles is considered one of the 100 greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stones, an American pop culture magazine. He was also nicknamed The Genius due to his contributions to Jazz music.
Ray Charles first got to know about Della Beatrice Howard Robinson by listening to her gospel titled Pray On, My Child on the radio. He liked her voice and decided to meet her. When he met her, Della found him a womanizer and a reckless one.
However, the two often bumped into each other as they toured around the country. Ray Charles asked Cecil Shaw to keep tabs on Della and tell him where she was going next on tour. The two then started meeting occasionally and ultimately fell in love. Ray Charles and Della Beatrice Howard Robinson got married in Dallas in 1955.
Their wedding took place in a room full of junk and their vows were read by an unknown woman. The two became parents to a baby boy named Ray Charles Robinson Jr. in May 1955. The family of three lived on Myrtle Street, Dallas. They then became parents to two more boys named David Robinson and Robert Robinson.
Ray Charles often remained on road given his busy touring routine. He was also involved in many extramarital affairs with three famous personalities named Mary Ann Fisher, Margie Hendricks, and Mae Mosely Lyles. Della Beatrice Howard Robinson knew about his whereabouts and remained in the marriage due to her faith.
In 1976, Della Beatrice Howard Robinson decided to divorce Ray Charles as she was living with her son and his girlfriend. In 1983, both Della and Ray came on friendly terms.
Ray Charles wife often used to visit Ray Charles and bring him food while he was hospitalized. Ray Charles suffered from deteriorating health and a dwindling career. He passed away on June 10, 2004 battling liver disease.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Trivia
- Della loves heels.
- She was two years older than her husband. Her son Ray Charles Jr. wrote in his book titled You Don’t Know Me: Reflections of My Father” that his father was always annoyed by the fact that Della was older than him.
- Ray Charles wife was unaware of her pregnancy while Ray Charles knew it. She didn’t know she was pregnant till three months.
- Della taught Ray Charles to write and sign his name.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Net Worth
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson has an estimated net worth of $15 million. Her husband Ray Charles’s net worth was estimated to be $100 million at his death.
Conclusion
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is currently 93 years old and living her life alone since her ex-husband’s death in 2004. She has three sons who are well-settled in their careers.
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