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.
I've Got So Many Million Years
Johnnie Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that I'm a million years old
I′ve seen the past and the future turn so many times
Now that I'm a million years old
I'm a hooker
I′m dead
I ain′t never had no friends
Tie me to a rock at the bottom of a cliff
Next to the sea
Wave after wave after wave after wave
My brothers, they're all sailors
It′s a salty sea, they call it bad weather
My sisters, each one a dancer
I want to give them treasures
I ain't got no treasures
I rode out of Rockaway beach that night
With the whole town on my side
My god you should have seen the way she looked in that
Yellow dress
Me, my face looks just like a box full of
Broken glass
It catches the light, like church windows
Now that I′m a million years old
I've seen the past and the future turn
So many times
The song "I've Got So Many Million Years" by Johnnie Ray is a poignant reflection on the inevitability of aging and the resulting perspective that comes with it. The repetition of the opening line "Now that I'm a million years old" sets the tone for the song, suggesting that the singer has lived a long and eventful life. The next lines, "I've seen the past and the future turn so many times," indicate that the singer has acquired a deep understanding of the cyclical nature of time.
The next few lines are a dark meditation on mortality and isolation. The singer declares, "I'm a hooker / I'm dead / All my friends are dead / I ain't never had no friends." These lines suggest that the singer has lived a life of marginalization and loneliness, perhaps as a sex worker. The image of being tied to a rock at the bottom of a cliff, with waves crashing over the singer, adds to this sense of isolation and despair. The singer's brothers are all sailors, and the sea is described as "bad weather," further emphasizing the singer's sense of being adrift and buffeted by forces beyond their control.
The final lines of the song offer a glimmer of hope, as the singer expresses a desire to give treasures to their sisters, who are dancers. However, the statement "I ain't got no treasures" underscores the singer's sense of lack and emptiness, despite their long years of life experience. Overall, the song is a haunting meditation on the meaning of life and the inevitability of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that I'm a million years old
After living for so long, having seen countless years pass by.
I've seen the past and the future turn so many times
Having lived for so long, I have seen countless cycles of history repeat themselves and glimpsed many possible futures.
I'm a hooker
I am a person who sells their body for sex.
I'm dead
I am figuratively dead inside, with no emotions left to spare.
All my friends are dead
Everyone I once knew and called a friend has passed away, leaving me alone.
I ain't never had no friends
I have never been fortunate enough to form any true friendships in my life.
Tie me to a rock at the bottom of a cliff
I am so miserable and hopeless that I would rather be left to die by the ocean's edge.
Next to the sea
By the ocean, where the waves crash and erode the shore.
Wave after wave after wave after wave
The endless repetition of the waves is a symbol of the relentless passage of time, which torments me with its monotony and indifference.
My brothers, they're all sailors
My siblings are all seafarers who spend their lives away from home, while I am left behind on land, alone and forgotten.
It's a salty sea, they call it bad weather
The ocean is a harsh, salt-filled place that sailors describe as 'bad weather,' reflecting the difficulties and dangers of life on the water.
My sisters, each one a dancer
My sisters are all dancers, women who bring joy and beauty to the world through their artistic talents.
I want to give them treasures
I wish I could present my sisters with gifts and tokens of appreciation for the happiness they bring to others.
I ain't got no treasures
Sadly, I am too impoverished and ruined to be able to offer anything of value to those I love.
I rode out of Rockaway beach that night
I left my hometown, seeking adventure and escape from my troubled life.
With the whole town on my side
The people of my town were supportive of my journey and wished me well as I set out into the wider world.
My god you should have seen the way she looked in that Yellow dress
I recall a particularly fond memory of a woman who was strikingly beautiful in a yellow dress, which has stayed with me despite my many troubles.
Me, my face looks just like a box of Broken glass
My face is scarred and mangled, resembling a shattered box of broken glass.
It catches the light, like church windows
Despite my ugliness, my face still glimmers and shines like the stained glass windows of a church, adding a hint of beauty to my otherwise hard and rough exterior.
Writer(s): Stuart Hamblen
Contributed by Levi O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@prepostmodern1032
Excellent post. Johnnie is great.