Ray Charles

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

On his birthday, LIFE presented a selection of photos—many of which never ran in LIFE magazine—that reveal a Ray Charles most of us have never seen: http://ti.me/15OYUvb

(Photo: Bill Ray—Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)

And the U.S. Postal Service honored late singer Ray Charles with a commemorative stamp: http://on.today.com/15mm25X