Charles Wayne Hendricks: What We Know About Ray Charles’s Son

Charles Wayne Hendricks was the son of famous singer Ray Charles. His mother was Margie Hendrix. She was also a singer and worked with Ray’s singing group, The Raelettes. Charles was born into a family full of music.

Still, Charles did not live a famous life. He stayed away from cameras and the news. He gave very few interviews. This is why many people know his father, but they know very little about Charles himself.

So, what do we know about Charles Wayne Hendricks? His story includes famous parents, a hard childhood, and a very private adult life. We will look at his early years, his parents, and why so much about him remains unknown.

Charles Wayne Hendricks Quick Bio

Who Was Charles Wayne Hendricks?

Charles Wayne Hendricks was one of Ray Charles’s 12 children. His mother was Marjorie “Margie” Hendrix. Charles was the only child Ray and Margie had together. This gave him a special place in Ray’s large family.

Both of his parents were known for music. Ray Charles became one of the most famous singers in the world. Margie was also known for her strong singing voice. She performed with Ray during an important time in his career.

Charles chose a much quieter life. He did not become a well-known singer or actor. He also did not spend much time in the public eye. Because of this, many details about his adult life are still not clear.

Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Early Life

Charles Wayne Hendricks was born on October 1, 1959. Reports say he was born in Harlem, New York. At the time, Ray Charles was becoming a big music star and was often busy with shows and new songs.

Ray and Margie were not married. Ray was married to Della Beatrice Howard Robinson at the time. His relationship with Margie started while they worked together. This made Charles’s family life different from many other children.

Ray knew Charles was his son. Reports say he helped Margie with bills and gave money to support their child. Charles spent much of his early life with his mother. Little is known about his school days and childhood friends.

Charles Wayne Hendricks’ Mother, Margie Hendrix

Margie Hendrix was a talented singer. She became known as a member of The Raelettes. This was the female singing group that worked with Ray Charles. Margie had a strong voice that was easy for people to remember.

She sang with Ray during some of the most important years of his early career. Her voice added power and feeling to their songs. Margie was not only known because of Ray. She had real singing talent of her own.

Her life later became difficult. Her relationship with Ray had many problems. She eventually left The Raelettes and tried to make music on her own. However, her solo career did not become as successful as she had hoped.

Charles Wayne Hendricks and His Father Ray Charles

Ray Charles and Margie Hendrix became close while working together. Their friendship later became a love relationship. They were together on and off for several years. Charles Wayne Hendricks was born during this relationship.

Ray was married to another woman at the time. Because of this, Ray, Margie, and Charles did not live together as one family. Ray was also very busy traveling, making music, and giving shows across the country.

Even so, Ray reportedly helped Margie and Charles with money. He accepted Charles as his son. Charles later became known as one of Ray’s 12 children, even though he spent much of his life away from his famous father’s public world.

How Charles Wayne Hendricks Lost His Mother

Margie Hendrix went through some hard times after leaving The Raelettes. She tried to continue singing on her own. She released several songs, but they did not become major hits. Her music career slowly became smaller.

Margie later married singer Robert Fulson. In 1967, they were in a bad road accident. Margie hurt her neck and also lost some hearing in one ear. These problems made her life and singing career even harder.

Margie died on July 14, 1973. She was only 38 years old. Charles Wayne Hendricks was still a young teenager when he lost his mother. Her exact cause of death has never been made fully clear to the public.

Why Charles Wayne Hendricks Chose a Private Life

Charles could have used his father’s famous name to get attention. He could have become a singer, actor, or TV star. Instead, Charles Wayne Hendricks stayed away from fame and kept his personal life very private.

There are very few interviews or public stories about him. We also do not have clear details about his job or daily adult life. Charles seemed to prefer a normal and quiet life instead of living under his father’s fame.

His private nature was also seen when the movie Ray came out in 2004. Regina King played Margie Hendrix in the film. King later said Charles did not appear to take part in the movie, keeping his story away from the spotlight.

Charles Wayne Hendricks and His 11 Half-Siblings

Charles Wayne Hendricks was one of Ray Charles’s 12 children. He was the only child Ray had with Margie Hendrix. However, Charles had 11 half-brothers and half-sisters from his father’s other relationships.

His half-siblings include Evelyn, Ray Jr., David, Robert, Raenee, Sheila, Reatha, Alexandra, Vincent, Robyn, and Ryan Corey. They had different mothers. Because of this, they did not all grow up in the same home.

Some of Ray’s children later lived public lives. Others stayed away from fame. Charles Wayne Hendricks was one of the most private children. Still, they were all connected by their famous father and his music.

Charles Wayne Hendricks and Ray Charles’s 2002 Family Meeting

In 2002, Ray Charles called most of his children together. Reports say 10 of his 12 children came to the meeting. Ray wanted to talk about his health, money, and what would happen after his death.

Ray reportedly told his children that each of them would get about $500,000. The money was planned for their future. This showed that Ray wanted his children to have some money after he was gone.

Ray Charles died on June 10, 2004. He was 73 years old. After his death, money was not the only family issue. His songs and music rights later became part of a long legal fight.

Charles Wayne Hendricks and the Ray Charles Estate Fight

Ray Charles left behind many famous songs. These songs still had great value after his death. Some of his children later tried to get rights linked to parts of their father’s music.

The Ray Charles Foundation was also involved. The foundation had received a large part of Ray’s estate. This led to a legal fight between the foundation and some of Ray’s children over music rights.

Some websites say Charles Wayne Hendricks was part of this fight. Other reports do not clearly show his role. Because the facts are not fully clear, it is better not to say that Charles personally fought the case.

Was Charles Wayne Hendricks Married With Children?

Some online reports say Charles Wayne Hendricks married a woman named Marlene. They also say he had seven children. Other reports say three stepchildren were also part of the family.

However, there is a big problem with this story. Much of the information comes from an obituary for a man with the same name. That Charles Wayne Hendricks was said to have been born in 1949.

Ray Charles’s son was born in 1959. This is a ten-year difference. The obituary may be about another person. Because of this, we cannot say for sure that Ray Charles’s son married Marlene or had seven children.

What Happened to Charles Wayne Hendricks?

Many websites say Charles Wayne Hendricks died on May 7, 2013. They say he was 53 years old. This date has been copied by many websites that tell the story of Ray Charles’s family.

But the death story is not fully clear. The obituary often used for this claim lists a birth date in 1949. Ray Charles’s son was born in 1959. This makes the death claim hard to prove.

There is also no clear cause of death for Ray Charles’s son. Some websites simply say his cause of death is unknown. As of 2026, it is best to treat the 2013 death date with care.

Final Thoughts

Charles Wayne Hendricks lived a very different life from his father. Ray Charles was known around the world. He performed on big stages and made many famous songs. Charles stayed away from that kind of life.

Charles also had a special link to Margie Hendrix. She was a gifted singer and an important member of The Raelettes. Charles was the only child that Ray Charles and Margie had together.

People still want to know about Charles Wayne Hendricks today. His quiet life has created many questions. Even though he did not become a star, his story remains an interesting part of Ray Charles’s family history.

(FAQs)

When was Charles Wayne Hendricks born?

Charles Wayne Hendricks was born on October 1, 1959. Many reports say he died in 2013 at age 53. However, his death date is not fully clear.

What was Charles Wayne Hendricks’ net worth?

His exact net worth is not known. Ray Charles reportedly planned to give each of his 12 children about $500,000.

Was Charles Wayne Hendricks in any movies?

Charles Wayne Hendricks was not a known actor. He also did not appear in Ray, the 2004 movie about his famous father.

Where is Charles Wayne Hendricks today?

It is not fully known. Some reports say he died in 2013. However, there are questions about these reports because some records may be about another man.

What was Charles Wayne Hendricks’ nationality?

Charles Wayne Hendricks was American. He was born in Harlem, New York, in the United States.