Della Howard Robinson is a famed personality, best known for being a gospel singer and the wife to singer and songwriter Ray Charles. Della Robinson met the renowned singer and composer in 1954, and they married barely a year later in a junk-filled back room.
Della established her name as one of the wealthiest gospel singers of her time. Some of her wealth resulted from her singing career, but it is also attributed to her receiving millions of dollars when she divorced Ray Charles, making her wealthy. Here are the details of Della Robinson’s life.
Who is Della Howard Robinson?
Della Howard Robinson came into the limelight for her marriage with Ray Charles. Ray Charles was a famed singer and songwriter who came into the limelight for his efforts in pioneering the genre of soul, rhythm, blues, and country music.
Della was born in 1929 in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Richmond, Texas. Della was starting a music career, singing in a church choir. While she was in her mid-twenties, she met Ray Charles, and they walked down the aisle a year later, making their relationship official.
Through her marriage to the American singer, Della gave birth to three sons, but her marriage ended in divorce because of Ray’s drug addiction and infidelity. They divorced in 1977, 22 years after their marriage.
How Did Della Howard Robinson Meet Ray Charles?
Della Howard Robinson married Ray Charles for 22 years before they called it a quit. At the time of her marriage, she was doing well in her music career while focusing on gospel music.
Della met Ray Charles in a hotel in the city, and their first meeting did not end successfully. And she was sure that she would never see the singer again because they had not exchanged greetings or contact.
To Della’s surprise, she continued meeting Ray Charles on the roads, and years later, she realized the meetings were not coincidental. Barely a year after they started dating, they had their wedding on April 5, 1955, the same year they welcomed their elder son.
A woman they had never met read their wedding vows, and their marriage was happy at first. Moreover, at the time of the marriage, Ray struggled financially while trying to establish his music career.
Who are Della Howard Robinson’s Children?
Della Robinson had three children with her husband, Ray Charles. Ray Jr, the eldest, was born in 1955, a month after their marriage. Della had two other sons, David and Robert Charles, within the twenty years they were married.
The couple went their separate ways in 1976, and their divorce was finalized in 1977. Ray Charles continued dating many women, and it resulted in a total of twelve children.
Della Howard Robinson’s Net Worth
Della Howard was a wealthy lady who had a music career. She was estimated to have a total of $15 million as of 2022, and it is believed that she got a handsome amount after her divorce from Ray Charles. On the other hand, Ray Charles had a net worth of $75 million at the time of his death.
