Who Is Della Beatrice Howard Robinson? Ray Charles’ Ex-Wife, Gospel Singer and Mother of His Three Sons
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is best known as the second wife of music legend Ray Charles. Most people call her “Bea,” the name Charles gave her. She was married to him for 22 years, and she raised their three sons while his career grew bigger every year.
Even though her name is searched often, there is not much public information about her. She never chased fame and she kept her life private. In this article, you will find the facts that can be checked, the parts that are still unclear, and the story of a woman who held a family together during hard times.
Quick Bio of Della Beatrice Howard Robinson
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Della Beatrice Howard Robinson |
| Also called | Bea, Della Bea |
| Known as | Ray Charles’ second wife and ex-wife |
| Work | Gospel singer, then full-time mother and homemaker |
| Birth year | Not officially confirmed (sources suggest about 1928 or 1929) |
| Early life | Grew up in Texas, with ties to Richmond and Houston |
| Where she met Charles | Texas, in 1954 |
| Wedding date | April 5, 1955 |
| Length of marriage | 22 years |
| Divorce | 1977 |
| Children | Ray Charles Robinson Jr. (born 1955), David Robinson (born 1958), Robert Robinson (born 1960) |
| Family home | View Park, California |
| Public profile | Very private, rarely seen in the media |
Who Is Della Beatrice Howard Robinson?
Della was born Della Beatrice Howard. The name Robinson came from her marriage, because Ray Charles’ full legal name was Ray Charles Robinson. That is why you will see her name written with both Howard and Robinson.
She was a gospel singer before she became famous as a wife. Her son, Ray Charles Robinson Jr., wrote a book about his father called You Don’t Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles. The publisher describes Della as a woman whose amazing gospel voice first drew Ray Charles to her. The same book also shows her as strong and steady, even when life at home was difficult.
Early Life and Gospel Singing
Her exact birth date is not clear. No reliable source gives the day and month, and the year changes from site to site. Some say 1929. Others say she was about two years older than Ray Charles, who was born in 1930. That would put her birth around 1928 or 1929. Because the details do not match, it is safest to say “around 1928 or 1929.”
Reports based on her son’s memoir say she spent part of her childhood in Richmond, Texas, with her grandmother. Later, she moved to Houston to live with her mother, who worked as a live-in housekeeper. Money was tight and life was not easy.
As a young woman, Della sang gospel music. Accounts of her life say she sang with a group in Houston called the Cecil Shaw Singers. Gospel was very important to Ray Charles too. He grew up with church music, and he later mixed gospel sounds with blues and jazz to help create soul music. A gospel singer was exactly the kind of voice he loved to hear.
How Della Met Ray Charles
Wikipedia says Charles met Della in Texas in 1954. At that time, he was already getting attention in the music world. He was signed to Atlantic Records, and in late 1954 he recorded “I’ve Got a Woman,” one of his best-known early songs.
Della was not a fan of the famous musician at first. Stories about their first meetings suggest that she was careful and not easily impressed. Charles kept coming back, and over time they became a couple. By the end of the year, they were planning a life together.
The 1955 Wedding
Ray Charles and Della Beatrice Howard married on April 5, 1955. Many accounts place the wedding in Dallas, but sources do not fully agree on the place, so it is better not to treat that detail as certain. The date, however, is the same in all the main sources.
This was Charles’ second marriage. His first wife was Eileen Williams. They married in 1951, and the marriage ended in 1952. The marriage to Della lasted much longer. Wikipedia notes that his first marriage lasted less than a year and his second marriage lasted 22 years.
Their first son was born soon after the wedding, on May 25, 1955. Wikipedia says Charles was not in town for the birth because he was playing a show in Texas. That small fact shows what the next years would look like. The music was growing fast, and the touring never stopped.
Raising Three Sons
Della and Ray had three sons:
- Ray Charles Robinson Jr., born May 25, 1955
- David Robinson, born in 1958
- Robert Robinson, born in 1960
The family lived in View Park, California, a neighborhood in the Los Angeles area. Della was the one who stayed home and took care of the boys while Ray traveled for concerts and recording sessions. Her oldest son later described her as a mother with great resilience and inner strength.
Ray Jr. grew up to work in film. According to his publisher’s biography, he was a coexecutive producer of Ray Charles: 50 Years of Music and a coproducer of the movie Ray. He also helps people who struggle with addiction, which connects to the pain his family went through.
The Hard Years of the Marriage
The marriage was not easy. Ray Charles was addicted to heroin for about 17 years. He was arrested several times, including in 1955, 1958, 1961 and 1964. In his own autobiography, Brother Ray, he said that his drug addiction hurt Della during their marriage.
There was another problem. Charles had relationships with other women, and he had children outside his marriage. Wikipedia says he fathered 12 children with nine different women. The publisher of Ray Jr.’s book also mentions his drug use, his many affairs, and the paternity suits against him, and says these things kept threatening the stability of the family home.
In the memoir, Ray Jr. also writes about a night when he was only six years old and found his father after he had used heroin. It is one of the hardest parts of the book, and it shows what life inside the house could be like.
Della stayed through many of these hard years. Some accounts say her faith was part of the reason she held on for so long. Others point out that she wanted her sons to have both parents. Only she knew her full reasons, and she has never given a public interview that tells the whole story.
The Divorce in 1977
The marriage ended in 1977. According to Wikipedia, Della was the one who filed for divorce. The reasons listed there are Charles’ drug addiction, his affairs while on tour, and his unpredictable behavior.
You may see websites that give exact numbers for a divorce settlement, a house, or a monthly payment. These figures are not backed by strong sources, and no major biography or news report gives a clear public record of them. It is wiser to skip those numbers.
Life After the Divorce
After the divorce, Della moved even further away from public attention. She did not write a book, she did not appear in many interviews, and she did not use her famous name to build a career.
Some writers say that Ray Charles and Della were on better terms in later years. Ray Charles lived another 27 years after the divorce. He passed away on June 10, 2004, at age 73, from complications of liver failure. In the year of his death, the film Ray was released, and Jamie Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor for playing him.
Della Beatrice in the Movie Ray
Della appears as a character in the movie Ray. The actress Kerry Washington played “Bea” in the film. The movie shows the young couple, the birth of their son, and how his habits and his affairs hurt the marriage. A film has to shorten and shape real events, so it should not be read as a full record of her life. Her son’s memoir and the Ray Charles autobiography give more detail.
What Is Still Unclear
Because Della lived so privately, some basic facts are missing. Here is what you should be careful about when reading other websites:
- Birth date. Only a rough year is known, and sources do not agree.
- Net worth. Many sites list big numbers, but none give a real source. There is no reliable public figure.
- Where she is today. There is no trustworthy public report that confirms her current situation, so it is best not to guess.
- Wedding place. Most accounts say Dallas, but this is not shown clearly in the main references.
- Her parents and siblings. Almost nothing reliable is known.
When a website answers all these questions with great confidence, that is usually a sign that the writer filled the gaps without proof.
Her Legacy
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson did not record hit songs or tour the world. Her story matters in a different way. She was a talented singer who gave up a public life to raise three boys, and she stayed through years that would have been very hard for most people. Her son Ray Jr. wrote about her with love and respect, and that may be the best picture we have of her.
For fans of Ray Charles, her story also helps to see the man behind the music. His success was real, and so was the cost for the people closest to him.
Where This Information Comes From
To keep this article accurate, the main facts come from these types of sources:
- The Wikipedia article on Ray Charles, which lists his marriages, his children, and the reasons for the divorce
- Brother Ray: Ray Charles’ Own Story by Ray Charles and David Ritz, the singer’s autobiography
- You Don’t Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles by Ray Charles Robinson Jr. with Mary Jane Ross, including the publisher’s description
- Ray Charles: Man and Music by Michael Lydon, a well-known biography
Many small websites copy each other and repeat guesses as facts. When sources disagreed, this article says so instead of choosing one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Della Beatrice Howard Robinson?
She is a former gospel singer and the second wife of Ray Charles. They married in 1955 and divorced in 1977. She is the mother of his sons Ray Jr., David and Robert.
When did Ray Charles marry Della Beatrice Howard Robinson?
They married on April 5, 1955, after meeting in Texas in 1954. Their marriage lasted 22 years.
Why did Ray Charles and Della divorce?
The marriage ended in 1977. Wikipedia lists his drug addiction, his affairs on tour, and his unpredictable behavior as the main reasons. She was the one who filed.
How many children did Della have with Ray Charles?
She had three sons with him: Ray Charles Robinson Jr., David Robinson and Robert Robinson.
What is Della Beatrice Howard Robinson’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure. Many websites show large numbers, but they do not give real sources, so these numbers should not be trusted.
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