Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is a former gospel singer and the ex-wife of Ray Charles, the late American singer, pianist, and songwriter.
The 20s-born woman has had a life full of ups, downs, and surprising moments. Eager to learn more about her and where she is now?
In this post, I’ll give you everything you need to know about Ray Charles’s ex-wife.
Della Beatrice’s Early Life
Della Beatrice Robinson was born in 1929 in Los Angeles, California. Unfortunately, no information about her family or even her parents’ identities is available.
That said, we can tell she lived a difficult childhood as multiple sources stated that her parents never married, and her father left after she was born.
They also reported that her father was never present in her life. So, she was entirely raised by a single mother.
As for Education, Della attended Richmond School until she completed fourth grade.
Della‘s Career
Della worked as a gospel singer in Los Angeles, but she was way less popular than her ex-husband.
She sang on various radio stations and performed in many live concerts. She also received a lot of contracts to sing with her band in popular theaters and churches.
The band also was offered a recording deal to produce a few songs.
Despite all the success, Della was only well-known to a narrow audience. She didn’t become well-recognized publicly until she got married to Ray Charles.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson and Ray Charles
Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles Image source: Instagram
Della and Charles first met in 1954 in Texas in a hotel, but they never exchanged contact information or greetings during that meeting. So, Della didn’t expect she would meet him again.
Surprisingly, she also didn’t find Charles attractive at all in the first meeting. However, the unexpected occurred, and Della kept running into Charles on the road. She discovered later that those recurring meetings weren’t a coincidence.
Della started to become attracted to Charles and began dating him after several meetings. After only dating for one year, the couple tied the knot in April 1955.
At that time, Ray wasn’t famous in the music industry and had many financial troubles. Still, the couple lived happily in their first few years of marriage.
Della Beatrice’s Children
Della shared three children with her ex-husband, Charles. The first was born in 1955 and named Ray Charles Robinson Jr.
He was born approximately one month before the couple’s marriage.
The second and third children were born within the first three years of the marriage. One is named Robert Robinson, and the other is David Robinson.
Here’s the shocking truth: Charles was the father of 12 children from 10 women!
Della and Charles Divorce
In 1997, the couple’s marriage ended after 22 years. They had a long history of problems before the divorce.
They actually separated one year before finalizing their divorce process. Sources say that Della filed for divorce because of her husband’s drug addiction and relationships with multiple women.
At that time, Charles and Mary Ann Fisher, a blues singer, were involved in an infamous affair.
Della’s Previous Marriages
Della’s marriage to Charles wasn’t her first. She divorced twice before her relationship with the late famous singer.
However, the identities of her ex-husbands remain mysterious. The only thing we know is that her first marriage ended because of physical abuse.
That said, Charles also had previous marriages before marrying Della. The American singer had married Eileen Williams Robinson, yet it was a notably short marriage and ended in just a few months.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson’s Age
Della turns 95 in 2024, yet her health condition at this age is unknown. Given their birth dates, I can tell her three children are now in their 60s.
Della Beatrice’s Net Worth
The former gospel singer’s fortune is estimated at around $15 million. As you can easily guess, a significant portion of this net worth was received from the divorce settlement.
Her late ex-husband, Charles, left behind a fortune of around $75 million.
Where Is Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Now?
Della started to live a private life after her divorce from Charles. Since then, the media hasn’t shown any photos of her except for only one published on Instagram in 2012.
Some sources stated that she lived in Riverside County around 2010 and was healthy.
In addition, as of writing these words, it’s believed that Della is still alive. However, her current whereabouts and health condition are unknown.
Wrapping Up
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is the ex-wife of the late famous American singer Ray Charles. They married for 22 years and shared three children.
The former gospel singer’s net worth is around $15 million, and she lives her 90s entirely away from the spotlight.