Ray was born in Hopewell, Oregon, spending part of his childhood on a farm, eventually moving to Portland, Oregon. Ray was of Native American origin; his great-grandmother was a full-blooded Native American and his great-grandfather was Oregon pioneer George Kirby Gay of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England. He became deaf in his right ear at age 13 after an accident during a Boy Scout event. It was his participation in the "blanket toss," a sort of variation of the trampoline, that traumatized the youngster's inner ear. Ray later performed wearing a hearing aid. Surgery performed in New York in 1958 left him almost completely deaf in both ears, although hearing aids helped his condition.
Career
Ray first attracted attention while performing at the Flame Showbar in Detroit, Michigan, an R&B nightclub. Inspired by rhythm singers like Kay Starr, LaVern Baker and Ivory Joe Hunter, Ray developed a unique rhythm based style, described as alternating between pre-rock R&B and a more conventional classic pop approach.
His first record, the self-penned R&B number for OKeh Records, "Whiskey and Gin", was a minor hit in 1951. The following year he dominated the charts with the double-sided hit single of "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud That Cried". Selling over two million copies of the 45 single, Ray's delivery struck a chord with teenagers and he quickly became a teen idol.
Ray's performing style included theatrics later associated with rock 'n roll, including beating up his piano, writhing on the floor and crying. Ray quickly earned the nicknames, "Mr. Emotion", "The Nabob of Sob", and "The Prince of Wails", and several others.
More hits followed, including "Please Mr. Sun", "Such a Night", "Walkin' My Baby Back Home", "A Sinner Am I", and "Yes Tonight Josephine". His last hit was "Just Walkin' in the Rain", in 1956. He did, however, hit again in 1957 with "You Don't Owe Me a Thing", which reached #10 in the Billboard charts. He was popular in the United Kingdom, breaking the record at the London Palladium formerly set by Frankie Laine.[citation needed] In later years, he retained a loyal fan base overseas, particularly in Australia.
Later career influences
Ray had a close relationship with journalist and television game show panelist Dorothy Kilgallen who gave a boost to his sagging career during his engagement at the Tropicana Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1965.
In early 1969, Ray befriended Judy Garland, performing as her opening act during her last concerts in Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmo, Sweden. Ray was also the best man during Garland's wedding to nightclub manager Mickey Deans in London.[4]
Ray's American career revived in the early 1970s, with appearances on The Andy Williams Show in 1970 and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson three times during 1972 and 1973. His personal manager Bill Franklin resigned in 1976 and cut off contact with the singer a few years later. His American revival turned out to be shortlived. He performed in small American venues such as El Camino College in 1987. Australian, English and Scottish promoters booked him for their large venues as late as 1989, his last year of performing.
Some writers suggested that the reason American entertainment bookers and songwriters ignored him in the 1980s was because they simply did not know who he was, or what his sound was like. His exposure during the new era of cable television was limited to a few seconds in Dexys Midnight Runners' 1982 music video for "Come On Eileen", using archival footage of Ray from 1954. He was name checked in the lyrics to "Come On Eileen" (viz "Poor old Johnnie Ray sounded sad upon the radio / he moved a million hearts in mono").
His other video appearance was in Billy Idol's 1986 "Don't Need a Gun", in which Ray appeared on-camera.
Destiny
Johnnie Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What if I never found you
I never had
This feeling in my heart
How did this come to be
I don′t know how you found me
But from the moment I saw you
Baby you're my destiny
You and I were meant to be
With all my heart and soul
I′ll give my love to have and hold
And as far as I can see
You were always meant to be
My destiny
Oooohhhhh
I wanted someone like you
Someone that I could hold on to
And give my love until the end
Of time
Oohhh
But forever was just a word (just a word)
Something I'd only heard about
But now you're always there for me
When you say forever I believe
Baby you′re my destiny
You and I were meant to be
With all my heart and soul
I′ll give my love to have and hold
And as far as I can see
You were always meant to be
My destiny
Oooooohhhh
Maybe all we need
Is just a little faith
Cuz baby I believe
That love will find a way
Heyyyyyyyy
Ohhh
Baby you're my destiny
You and I were meant to be
With all my heart and soul
I′ll give my love to have and hold
And as far as I can see
From now until eternity
You were always meant to be
My destiny
You're my destiny
Yeahh yeahh oohhh
The song "Destiny" by Johnnie Ray is a romantic ballad about finding true love and feeling destined to be with that person forever. The lyrics talk about the idea of fate and how two people were meant to find each other, even if they never knew each other before. The singer expresses his deep feelings for the one he loves, saying that from the moment he saw her, he knew she was his destiny. The chorus repeats the phrase "Baby you're my destiny" and emphasizes the idea that these two people were meant to be together forever. The lyrics also mention the importance of faith in finding love and believing that it will last forever.
The song features Ray's signature emotion-filled vocals and the instrumentation is mainly composed of a piano and a soft melody. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing and hope for finding true love and staying together forever. The message of the song is timeless and relatable to anyone who has ever experienced the feeling of falling in love and feeling like it was meant to be.
Line by Line Meaning
What if I never knew
Expressing gratitude for finding true love and wondering what life would have been like had they never found it.
What if I never found you
Reflecting on the luck in finding an ideal partner who epitomizes love and making life complete.
I never had
This feeling in my heart
Referring to the overwhelming joy and contentment derived from being in love with someone special.
How did this come to be
Reflecting on how finding true love seemed rare, and disbelief at finding someone who fits the description of an ideal partner.
I don’t know how you found me
Acknowledging the mystery of finding true love and an ideal partner who truly understands them.
But from the moment I saw you
Deep inside my heart I knew
Describing the moment of meeting an ideal partner, and how instinctively they knew they were meant to be together.
Baby you're my destiny
Emphasizing the significance of the partner in the singer's life, implying that they were brought together by fate.
You and I were meant to be
Stressing the idea that they as a couple were created, destined to be together and inseparable.
With all my heart and soul
I’ll give my love to have and hold
Stating the commitment of the artist to the partner, physically and emotionally promising to love, cherish and hold onto them.
And as far as I can see
You were always meant to be
My destiny
Reiterating the idea that the artist’s partner is what they had been seeking all along and that they feel blessed to have found them.
I wanted someone like you
Admitting the desperate need for an ideal partner, validating the hope that they had for finding a special person.
Someone that I could hold on to
And give my love until the end
Of time
Describing their yearning for romantic and physical companionship, promising to offer unending love and devotion.
But forever was just a word (just a word)
Something I'd only heard about
Expressing a belief that the idea of finding eternal love was just an imaginary concept, singling out the partner as different from the rest of the lovers they had heard of.
But now you're always there for me
When you say forever I believe
Contrasting their past feelings with the current truth, acknowledging the partner’s commitment and the singer’s belief in the concept of eternity.
Maybe all we need
Is just a little faith
Cuz baby I believe
That love will find a way
Encouraging the partner to hold onto the love they have found and to have faith that everything will work out in the end, trusting that love will overcome any obstacle.
From now until eternity
You were always meant to be
My destiny
Extending the idea of a partner’s importance through eternity, acknowledging that they were meant to be together for a lifetime, if not more.
You're my destiny
Reiterating the idea that the partner is the artist's true love and destiny.
Writer(s): Alstone, Goodhart, Spier
Contributed by Lincoln B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fred Tappin
Listened to this hundreds of times as a teenager. My favourite Johnnie Ray recording.
Elaine Ayton
one of my heart throbs from my teen years xx
ALAN GRANVILLE
I saw him at the London Palladium circa 1956 and he was an absolute sensation, breaking all box office records. He was magnificent on stage and his audience were as exhausted as he must have been at the end of the show.
Peter Beschorner
Wish I had been there too! I saw Frankie Laine at the Pal, but always loved the emotion and feeling that Johnie put into each song! Happy memories!
David Walsh
One of the greatest singers ever. He lived every song that he sang. Johnnie Ray was a fabulous performer. He really was a trail.blazer.
Griwhoolda
Wow; first I've heard this one! Thanks for uploading. What a voice, what a singer - and what an ARTIST!
Ken Bassett
Perfect ,remember hearing this when I was in the army NAAFI in 1954.It's now 2021 and I still get a kick hearing it.Ken.
Irene Kent
Lovely song with meanings love it
patrick ryan
Johnnie Ray's voice often takes me back in time to a place I never really was (in this lifetime). 1/2018
Phillip Ridgway
patrick ryan M