Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is a prominent figure in the music industry. She was famously known as the ex-wife of Ray Charles Robinson Sr., an American singer, songwriter, pianist and composer.
The couple had been married for 22 years before their divorce in 1977. During their marriage, they had three children together.
The public’s perception of Della has shifted over time from being seen as just another woman that Charles had an affair with to being acknowledged as the one he truly loved and wanted to be with forever. In this blog post we will explore her career, marriage to Ray Charles Robinson Sr., and net worth today.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Bio
Della Beatrice Antwine was born in Richmond, Texas – a small town fifteen miles south of Houston, with a population of only 1,500 people. Despite being born during the Depression, this refuge for emancipated slaves after the Civil War wasn’t hit as hard as many other places.
When Della was young, however, train tracks running through the middle of Richmond were a reminder of racial divisions in America. Ray Charles Jr’s book ‘You Don’t Know Me: Reflections Of My Father, Ray Charles’ recalls that the fact that she was older than her ex-husband often annoyed her throughout her life.
On her birth in this town over one hundred years ago, Della could never have guessed at all the adventures life would take her on.
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Howard’s Family Had Lots Of Lands
Growing up in a segregated world, Della Robinson’s family had quite a bit of property despite the times. Her maternal family owned eighty acres that were shared among all of the households.
On her own ten acres, Robinson lived in a one bedroom frame house with her grandmother and uncle. Here, they grew corn, peanuts, potatoes and cotton as well as maintained a truck garden for vegetables
Furthermore, their land was abundant with fruit trees and wild berries like blackberries and dewberries which Della’s family would use to make cobbler and pies. Horses were used to pull wagons while cows provided milk and chickens, ducks and geese supplied them with meat so nothing went to waste on the land.
Religion was also an important part of her upbringing and her family even built a church on their property.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson’s Parents
Despite not being married, Della Beatrice Howard Robinson’s parents were never silent about her father – she knew who he was and carried his name. He was living with another woman in Houston, but the two never met until she was 10 years old when she left Richmond to go live with her mother there.
Her move proved to be a difficult transition, as it must be for any child who moves away from their home with only one parent and barely knows the other. While it is unknown why her parents never wed, Della has silently questioned this all her life.
Della Often Fought With Her Mother
Della often clashed with her mother. She wasn’t used to having a parent around and she didn’t like the partying and late nights her mother seemed to enjoy. Having to look after her new baby brother, James, was the last straw and she decided to move out on her own.
Unfortunately, this decision ended up being one of the worst mistakes of Della’s life as she soon realized living away from home at such a young age was much more difficult than she had anticipated.
To survive on her own, Della found she often had to resort to “lying” about her age so that she could get a job and social services. Thus, even though leaving home may have seemed like a good idea at the time, it was no match for the comfort of family that Della missed desperately.
Ray Charles Stalked His Ex-Wife, Della Beatrice Howard Robinson
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson was on the road touring with a group when she first became aware that her ex-husband, Ray Charles, seemed to always be one step ahead of her.
Everywhere she went, he popped up unexpectedly. It became clear that he had made an arrangement with Cecil to keep track of her every move. Strangely enough, they soon found themselves in the same spot again – this time at Hotel Theresa in New York – where Della had gone after leaving her second husband.
Though their reunion was odd, it ended up being the beginning of something beautiful; against all odds, Ray and Della later remarried and built a loving relationship together for several years until his passing in 2004.
Where Is Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Now?
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is living the life of a private citizen these days, her whereabouts unknown to most who followed Ray Charles’s career arc until his death in 2004.
While it was reported in 2010 that she resides in Riverside County and enjoys stable health, no further information has been revealed about any additional marriages or other major life changes.
Nevertheless, we can be sure that whatever she is doing, she is still enjoying life as a much-beloved former Mrs. Charles.
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson Net Worth
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is the ex-wife of the late American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer, Ray Charles Robinson, Sr. While not much is known about her current net worth, it is believed that she has accumulated a considerable amount of wealth both from her involvement in the music industry as well as her personal investments.
She also stands to inherit a portion of Ray Charles’s estate, which is said to be worth over $50 million. Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is now in her 80s and residing in Riverside County. Though she has attempted to maintain a low profile, fans of the beloved singer will always remember her fondly as his one true love.
Conclusion
Della Beatrice Howard Robinson is a remarkable woman and an important figure in the life of Ray Charles. Despite difficulties with her parents, she moved to Houston at only 10 years old and found herself living on her own by age 15.
Though it was difficult for her to survive without family support, Della managed to make something out of nothing through hard work and determination. After being separated from him for some time due to his touring lifestyle, fate brought them back together again where they ended up remarrying until his death in 2004.
Today, we can assume that Della still enjoys life as a much-beloved former Mrs. Charles though no further information has been revealed about any additional marriages or other major life changes since then. We wish this incredible woman all the best for whatever adventures may come next!
