**What REALLY Happened to Margie Hendrix? The Truth Is Beyond Heartbreaking**

Margie Hendrix was once one of the most powerful and influential voices in R&B, best known as the lead singer of Ray Charles’s backing group, the Raelettes. But behind the legendary music, her life was marked by tragedy, heartbreak, and ultimately a mysterious death that the world barely noticed.

Born in 1935 in Register, Georgia, Margie was the youngest of three children. Early family loss and hardship shaped her childhood, but music became her refuge.

Margie’s gospel roots and emotional intensity made her a standout singer, and by her late teens, she moved to New York City to chase her dreams. After a failed first single, she joined The Cookies, a successful girl group, and soon became a sought-after session singer at Atlantic Records.

Margie’s life changed forever when she met Ray Charles. Her voice immediately caught his attention, and she became the heart of his new backing group, the Raelettes, in 1958. Their chemistry was undeniable, both musically and personally. Margie’s explosive vocals powered hits like “Night Time Is the Right Time,” “What’d I Say,” and “Hit the Road Jack.” Ray Charles himself once said Margie’s voice could “scare you to death,” placing her among the greatest singers of her era.

But their professional partnership soon became a turbulent love affair. Ray was married, but he and Margie began a relationship that resulted in the birth of their son, Charles Wayne, in 1959.

Margie hoped Ray would leave his wife for her, but he refused, leaving Margie emotionally devastated. Forced to work with the father of her child while being rejected as a partner, Margie’s mental health suffered. She turned to alcohol and heroin to cope, and her reliability as a performer declined.

By the early 1960s, Margie’s relationship with Ray had soured. Her substance abuse and erratic behavior led to missed performances and conflicts within the group. In 1964, after a violent argument during a European tour—where Margie revealed an affair with one of Ray’s musicians—Ray fired her from the Raelettes and sent her home. Margie lost her career, her musical family, and her connection to the industry’s top tier.

Margie tried to rebuild as a solo artist, signing with Mercury Records. But her singles failed to chart, and her personal struggles grew worse. A brief marriage to jazz singer Robert Fulson offered little stability. After a serious car accident in 1967 and further failed releases, Margie’s career collapsed. By 1971, she had disappeared from the public eye, battling addiction and poverty.

In July 1973, Margie Hendrix was found dead in New York City at just 38 years old. No autopsy was performed, and her official cause of death was never determined. Most believe she died from a heroin overdose, consistent with her long battle with addiction, but rumors persist of other causes, including a car crash or cancer. Margie died in obscurity and financial desperation, buried quietly in her hometown, with little acknowledgment from the music industry or Ray Charles.

Her son, Charles Wayne, would also die mysteriously decades later, deepening the sense of tragedy around Margie’s legacy. Despite her enormous contributions to R&B, Margie Hendrix’s story was buried for fifty years—a cautionary tale of talent lost to heartbreak, addiction, and an industry that failed to protect its brightest stars. Her voice lives on in classic recordings, but her life remains a somber reminder of the costs behind the music.