- Della Beatrice Antwine Robinson was born in a little hamlet in Texas.
- Beatrice’s parents were originally from Richmond, Texas.
- Her parents’ marriage was never consummated, and she has no idea why.
- She began as a gospel vocalist.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is famously known as the former spouse of late African-American singer, songwriter, and composer, Ray Charles Robinson, Sr. Della was married to the late musician for more than two decades before their marriage fell apart.
Besides, the former husband-and-wife also gave birth to three children while they were married to each other.
Apart from Della, there were a number of women with whom Ray Charles had had relationships during his heydays.
However, his relationship with Della is considered the only relationship he was serious.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson rose to fame after she started dating the late singer and songwriter.
And even after Charles’ death, his fans are still curious to learn about his former wife, Della
Table of Contents
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Birth Information –
Della Beatrice Antwine Robinson was born in a little hamlet in Texas.
Her son, Ray Charles Jr., stated in his book, You Don’t Know Me: Reflections Of My Father, that his mother was two years older than his father.
Because Ray Charles Sr. was born in September 1930, we might assume Della was born in 1928.
Meanwhile, she is in her mid-90s in terms of age.
In reality, Bella was constantly irritated that her late ex-husband was older than her.
Beatrice’s parents were originally from Richmond, Texas.
In Texas, she finished her studies. Robinson supposedly had to walk sixteen miles a day for her studies.
She attended a local school until the fourth grade when she relocated to Houston.
Her parents had never married
Having children out of wedlock was not popular in the late 1920s, but Della Beatrice’s parents were one of the unusual couples of the time.
Her parents’ marriage was never consummated, and she has no idea why.
Della’s father had divorced her mother and married another woman in Houston.
Bella knew who her father was, but she never got the opportunity to meet him as a child.
Beatrice spent her childhood with her mother’s family.
Della grew up with a close relationship with her maternal grandmother Mama Lee and her uncle George.
By the age of ten, she had left her maternal family and moved in with her mother.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson despised her mother’s partying as a child.
Della had some time getting used to her mother’s lifestyle after moving in with her.
She was initially dissatisfied with her mother’s lifestyle, which included late nights and after-work parties.
Furthermore, her connection with her mother deteriorated after she was assigned to care for her baby brother, James.
Della then chose to leave her mother’s house, but she soon regretted her decision.
Della still thinks leaving her mother’s house was a great mistake.
Robinson moved in with her cousin Robert Lee after leaving her mother’s house.
Robinson’s Struggles After Leaving Her Mother’s House Robinson encountered difficulties after leaving her mother’s house.
Fortunately, she acquired a Social Security card and a health card because no one would ask for a birth certificate back then.
She then went on to work at a restaurant as a waitress.
Robinson afterward began singing with a gospel group.
She moved in with one of the group’s members, Ella Dooley, shortly after she began singing.
She had already joined Cecil Shaw’s gospel ensemble by the time she graduated high school.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson’s Gospel Singing Career
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson began singing from the beginning of her career, as previously stated.
She began as a gospel vocalist.
Robinson began singing on local radios and at concerts shortly after joining Cecil Shaw’s gospel ensemble.
Della and her group were then signed to a recording contract, and they became popular on a local level.
Some of their works are still available, while others have perished with the passage of time.
More importantly, Della appeared on covers, and by the time she reached adulthood, she had a promising gospel singing career ahead of her.
Della’s Personal Life Beatrice Howard Robinson had a couple of failed marriages.
We all know Robinson was famously married to late musician Ray Charles, but few of us are aware that she was married twice before meeting Charles.
Yes, you read that correctly! Her first husband was the son of a clergyman whom she met at a church session.
Della desired a home of her own and children in her early twenties, so she married the man soon after their first meeting.
However, Della’s first husband’s name is not revealed.
Robinson’s first marriage, meanwhile, did not survive long.
She once stated that when her then-husband was displeased with her, he would physically abuse her.
Della met another tall and attractive churchgoer and began seeing him soon after her first divorce.
Robinson married her second spouse after a brief romance, however, her second marriage did not endure as long as her first.
Her second husband was far more violent than her first.
So she left him on the spur of the moment and relocated to New York City.
Relationship with Third Husband: Her Life’s Love
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson had been through two unsuccessful marriages and was still a gospel singer when she met Ray Charles, the love of her life.
Della was still a member of the Cecil Shaw Singers at the time.
In reality, she had heard that Ray was a drug addict and a womanizer before seeing him in person.
While Ray admired Howard’s personality, Howard had a different impression of her future husband at first.
They met in a hotel in Texas in 1954.
Della had never expected to see Ray again after their first encounter, but she frequently stumbled into him on the road.
Howard, Della Beatrice Ray Charles, Robinson’s ex-husband
Howard, Della Beatrice Ray Charles, Robinson’s ex-husband At the time of their encounter, Robinson was married to her second husband; however, Howard soon divorced her second husband and relocated to New York City, where she met Charles again.
How Did Their Relationship Grow?
Della Howard had arrived in New York City with very little money.
She didn’t have steady work and the money she had barely covered her rent.
Ray, her future husband, then paid her week’s rent without knowing.
Ray then requested her to relocate to Dallas, which she reluctantly accepted.
They met frequently after Howard’s relocation to Dallas, and they quickly fell in love.
Howard and Ray Charles married in Dallas in 1955, almost a year after their initial meeting.
They kept their wedding simple, with a woman they’d never met reading them their vows.
Marriage and Children
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson and her then-husband, Ray, received their first child, Ray Charles Robinson Jr., in May 1955.
They were residing on Myrtle Street in Dallas, Texas at the time.
The couple then welcomed two more children, boys David Robinson and Robert Robinson.
Even though their marriage appeared to be great on the outside, Charles’ addiction to drugs and women gradually threw their marriage off course.
Charles was at the pinnacle of his profession, and he continued to tour various locations, which affected his family life in certain ways.
Because he was a singing phenomenon, even his minor affairs and hookups made news, causing a schism in his and his wife’s marital life.
Mary Ann Fisher, Margie Hendricks, and Mae Mosely Lyles were among the women Charles had affairs with.
Della remained married to him for an extended period despite his affairs and hookups.
Ray Charles’ divorce from her
Finally, Robinson filed for divorce from her then-husband, Charles, in 1976.
However, the specifics of her application were kept hidden for quite some time.
Charles Sr. was living with their son and his girlfriend at the time.
Their divorce was supposedly formalized in 1977.
Dell and her ex-husband, Ray, had maintained a cordial relationship despite their divorce.
She would even pay him visits when he was in rehabilitation.
Ray Charles, Della’s ex-husband, and legendary musician died of liver disease on June 10, 2004, over 27 years after their divorce.
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Della Beatrice Howard Robinson’s Current Location
Robinson has led a low-key life and has remained out of the spotlight since her divorce from Ray Charles.
As a result, determining Robinson’s current location and occupation is quite difficult.
Robinson, on the other hand, lived in Riverside County in the early 2010s.
Robinson is very much alive and kicking when it comes to whether or not she is alive.
