Charles Wayne Hendricks was the son of American singer and pianist Ray Charles and singer Margie Hendrix. His parents worked together while Margie was a member of the Raelettes, Ray Charles’ backing vocal group.
Charles was reportedly born on October 1, 1959, in New York City. Unlike his famous parents, he stayed mostly outside the public eye. He reportedly married Marlene Hendricks and had a large family. Charles died in 2013, but his cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Profile Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Charles Wayne Hendricks |
| Known for | Being the son of Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix |
| Reported date of birth | October 1, 1959 |
| Birthplace | New York City, New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Father | Ray Charles Robinson |
| Mother | Marjorie “Margie” Hendrix |
| Half-siblings | 11 through his father |
| Reported wife | Marlene Hendricks |
| Reported children | 7 biological children |
| Profession | Not publicly confirmed |
| Date of death | May 7, 2013 |
| Reported age at death | 53 |
| Cause of death | Not publicly confirmed |
Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Early Life
Charles Wayne Hendricks was reportedly born on October 1, 1959, in New York City. Some reports place his birth in Harlem.
His parents were Ray Charles Robinson and Marjorie “Margie” Hendrix. They were not married. Ray was married to Della Beatrice Howard Robinson when his relationship with Margie took place.
Ray and Margie reportedly had an on-and-off relationship that lasted several years. Charles was their only child together.
According to reports, Margie and Charles lived in Harlem with Margie’s sister, Lula Hendricks. Ray provided them with financial support.
There is some disagreement about Charles’ birth date. Michael Lydon’s book Ray Charles: Man and Music gives October 1, 1959. However, an obituary attributed to Taylor Mortuary reportedly lists October 19, 1949. The 1959 date is the one more commonly reported in biographies about Ray Charles and his family.
Who Was Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Father, Ray Charles?
Charles’ father, Ray Charles Robinson, was one of the best-known American musicians of the 20th century. He was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia.
Ray became known as a singer, pianist, songwriter, and composer. His music mixed gospel, blues, jazz, country, and R&B. He was widely known by the nickname “The Genius.”
His well-known recordings include Georgia on My Mind, Hit the Road Jack, I Can’t Stop Loving You, and What’d I Say.
Ray lost his sight when he was young but went on to build a major music career. He won numerous Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.
Ray Charles had 12 children with different women. Charles Wayne Hendricks was one of them.
Ray died on June 10, 2004, in Beverly Hills, California. He was 73.
Who Was Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Mother, Margie Hendrix?
Charles’ mother, Marjorie “Margie” Hendrix, was an American singer best known for performing with the Raelettes.
Margie had a strong role in Ray Charles’ music during the late 1950s and early 1960s. She and Ray also had a personal relationship, which resulted in the birth of Charles Wayne.
Margie later left the Raelettes and tried to continue her music career. Her solo recordings included Now the Hurt’s on You and Baby in the 1960s.
She reportedly married jazz singer Robert Fulson in 1966.
In 1967, Margie was involved in a road accident while traveling in a car driven by Fulson. Reports from the period said she suffered neck injuries and some hearing loss in her right ear. These injuries created further problems for her singing career.
Margie also reportedly struggled with alcohol and drugs during her later years. Her career declined, and she largely disappeared from public attention.
She died on July 14, 1973, at the age of 38. Her exact cause of death has not been clearly established. Claims that drugs caused her death have been reported, but they should not be treated as confirmed fact.
Charles was 13 years old when his mother died if the commonly reported October 1959 birth date is correct.
Was Charles Raised by Ray Charles?
Some reports state that Charles went into his father’s care after Margie Hendrix died in 1973.
However, there is little reliable public information about where Charles lived afterward or how much time he spent with Ray Charles. Details about their father-son relationship are also limited.
For this reason, it is safer to say that Ray was part of Charles’ life, but the exact nature of their relationship has not been well documented publicly.
Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Siblings
Charles was Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix’s only known child together. Through his father, however, he was part of a much larger family.
Ray Charles had 12 children in total with different women. Charles therefore had 11 paternal half-siblings.
His reported half-siblings include Ray Charles Robinson Jr., Evelyn Robinson, David Robinson, Robert Robinson, Renee Robinson, Sheila Robinson, Reatha Butler, Alexandra Bertrand, Vincent Kotchounian, Robyn Moffett, and Ryan Corey Robinson den Bok.
Some online sources use slightly different names or spellings for members of Ray Charles’ family.
His Education and Career
Very little reliable information is available about Charles Wayne Hendricks’ education.
The schools or colleges he attended have not been publicly documented.
His profession is also not clearly known. Unlike Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix, Charles did not build a widely documented career in the entertainment industry.
There is no strong evidence that he worked professionally as a singer or musician.
Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Wife
Charles was reportedly married to a woman named Marlene Hendricks.
Very little has been published about Marlene or their relationship. Their wedding date and other details about their marriage are not widely documented.
The family appears to have lived privately rather than taking part in the entertainment world surrounding Ray Charles.
Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Children
Charles and Marlene reportedly had seven children.
Their reported names are Joel Spiller Jr., Jeremy Casner, Nick Casner, Antoinette Hendricks, Charli Hendricks, Danielle Casner, and Jacqueline Spiller.
Reports also name Steven Barker, Anthony Barker, and Freddie Haynes as Marlene’s children from previous relationships. This would have created a blended family of ten children.
However, detailed public records confirming all of these family relationships are limited. The names are therefore best treated as reported information rather than fully documented facts.
Ray Charles’ Estate and His Children
Ray Charles made financial arrangements for his children before his death.
Reports state that he met with several of his children and told them they would each receive $500,000. The money was reportedly provided through trusts or payments made over several years.
After Ray died in 2004, legal disputes developed involving his estate, charitable foundation, copyrights, and some of his children.
Several of Ray’s children later became involved in litigation connected with rights to his music. Reports name Ray Charles Robinson Jr., Sheila Robinson, David Robinson, Robert Robinson, Reatha Butler, Robyn Moffett, and Renee or Raenee Robinson among those involved.
Some online accounts also connect Charles Wayne Hendricks to these disputes. However, his personal involvement is not clearly documented in the information available.
The reported $500,000 arrangement should also not be confused with Charles Wayne Hendricks’ personal net worth.
Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Net Worth
Charles Wayne Hendricks’ net worth is not reliably known.
There is no confirmed public information about his career, income, property, or other assets. Online estimates of his wealth should therefore be treated with caution.
Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Death
Charles Wayne Hendricks reportedly died on May 7, 2013.
Based on the commonly reported October 1, 1959 birth date, he was 53 years old.
His cause of death has not been publicly confirmed. There is also very little reliable information available about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Was Charles Wayne Hendricks in the Movie Ray?
The 2004 biographical film Ray focused on Ray Charles’ life and music career. Jamie Foxx played Ray Charles and won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the role.
Regina King played Margie Hendrix, Charles Wayne Hendricks’ mother.
Margie’s relationship with Ray was part of the film, but Charles Wayne Hendricks himself is not a major focus of the story.
King later discussed the difficulty of playing Margie because relatively little video footage and other visual material of the singer was available. She relied heavily on Margie’s music and voice when developing the role.
Did Charles Wayne Hendricks Use Social Media?
There are no widely verified public social media accounts belonging to Charles Wayne Hendricks.
He died in 2013 and appears to have maintained a private life. Photos and profiles using his name online should not automatically be assumed to be authentic.
Things to Know About Charles Wayne Hendricks
- Charles Wayne Hendricks was the son of Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix.
- His commonly reported birth date is October 1, 1959.
- He was reportedly born in New York City and spent part of his early life in Harlem.
- Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix were never married.
- Charles was their only known child together.
- He had 11 paternal half-siblings because Ray Charles had 12 children in total.
- His mother was a singer and member of the Raelettes.
- Margie Hendrix died in 1973 when Charles was still a teenager.
- Charles reportedly married Marlene Hendricks.
- They reportedly had seven biological children and were part of a larger blended family.
- His education and profession have not been publicly confirmed.
- His personal net worth is not reliably known.
- Charles reportedly died on May 7, 2013, at age 53.
- His cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
