ifferences from noted events

The film's credits state that Ray is based on true events, but includes some cha
racters, names, locations, and events which have been changed and others which h
ave been "fictionalized for dramatization purposes." Examples of the fictionaliz
ed scenes include:
The film's portrayal of Charles' brother George's death in 1935 shows him dr
owning to death in a metal tub after Ray doesn't attempt to rescue him because h
e assumes he is just playing; Ray's mother then discovers George drowning when c
alling the boys in for dinner. Though George did drown to death in a metal tub,
Ray did try to pull him out, but was unable to do so due to George's large body
weight;[6] Ray then ran inside to tell his mother what had happened.[6]
In the studio scene where Charles is taught the "Mess Around," he is told it
is in the "key of G", but the "Mess Around" is actually in the key of E flat.
In the film, when heeath of George and his blindness did not lead to nervous
breakdowns.[7]
It is true that Charles kicked his heroin addiction after undergoing treatme
nt in a psychiatric hospital during 1965, as stated y into his life. In reality,
Hendricks did conceive a child with Charles and abandoned him aftes that ving a
party in Los Angeles sometime in 1965 when he is informed that Margie has died
of a drug overdose, and he er he declared he would no longer perform at segregat
ed public facilities. In reality, by the time "Georgia on My Mind" became Georgi
a's state song in 1979, Charles and Delia had already divorced, so she wasn't pr
esent when Charles performed at the Georgia State Legislature;[8] and since he h
ad never been banned from performing in Georgia in the first place, no such reso
lution was ever passed.[8]
Throughout the film, it is suggested that Ray's depression and heroin addict
ion were fueled by nervous breakdowns he had over thetowardsharles, but it did n
ot occur until 1973.[10]
In the scene where Charvery night. This event is only partly true, as Ray ac
tually met Quincy a few days after arriving.is devastated by the tragedy. In rea
lity, her death from an alleged drug overdose did reportedly upset Cis backing s
inger and mistress Margie Hendricks informs Ray she is pregnant with his child,
Ray suggests she should have an abortion, out of loyalty to Della; Margie decide
s to keep the baby and soon leaves Ray to pursue a separate singing career after
he refuses to abandon his family, move in with her and welcome the bab deaths o
f both George and his mother, as well as his blindness. In reality, the death of
his mother did give him a nervous breakdown and was thought to be a leading cau
se of his depression,[7] but the dresolution banning Charles from ever performin
g again in the state. In reality, a group of civil rights activists did successf
ully persuade Charles to reject this invitation, but the advice came in the form
of a telegram rather than a street protest;[8] Charles also did make up for the
gig later, and was never banned from performing in Georgia and still accepted i
nvitations to perform at segregated public facilities.[8]
During the final scene in the film where Charles' version of "Georgia on My
Mind" becomes Georgia's state song, Charles is congratulated by his wife Della,
and a resolution is also passed to lift the lifetime ban he had received in 1962
aft the end of the film, but it is not mentioned that he would often use gin an
d marijuana as substitutes for heroin throughout much of the remaining years of
his life.[7][8]
In the scene where "r he refused to leave Della, but Charles never asked her
to have an abortion, and welcomed any child he conceived, whether from Della or
any mistress, into his personal life.[8]
The film shows Ray hales is about to enter a segregated music hall in August
a, Georgia, in 1962, a group of civil rights activists protesting just outside t
he hall successfully persuade him not to perform; Charles then declares that he
will no longer perform in segregated public facilities and in response, the Geor
gia state legislature passes a arrives in Seattle at the club where he is going

to audition, Ray meets a teenage Quincy JoneWhat'd I Say" is being played, Char
les is depicted as playing a Fender Rhodes electric piano, but in reality, he us
ed a Wurlitzer electric piano on the original recording and begun using it on to
ur in 1956, because he didn't trust the tuning and quality of the pianos provide
d to him at every venue.[9]
In the film, when h