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.
Such A Night
Johnnie Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was a night, ooo what a night it was
It really was, such a night
The moon was bright ooo how bright it was
It really was, such a night
The night was alive with stars above
And when she kissed me I had to fall in love
It really was, such a kiss
How she could kiss ooo what a kiss it was
It really was, such a kiss
Just part of her lips that sets me on fire
I reminisce and I feel desire
I'd give my heart to her in sweet surrender
How well I remember , I'll always remember
Ooo that night, ooo what a night it was
It really was, such a night
Came the dawn and my heart and my love and the night was gone
But I'll never forget that kiss in the moonlight
Ooo such a kiss, ooo such a night
Now she's gone, gone gone
Yes she's gone, gone gone
Came the dawn, dawn dawn
And the night was gone
And my heart was gone
And her love was gone
But before the dawn oo oo oo oo such a night
The song "Such a Night" by Johnnie Ray is a nostalgic ballad recounting a memorable evening spent with a special someone. The night was illuminated by a bright moon and shimmering stars, creating a magical atmosphere. As the singer and his companion share a kiss, his heart is consumed by a powerful desire for her. He feels entranced by her lips and is compelled to give her his heart in sweet surrender. Despite the bittersweet ending of the night and his lover's departure, he vows to never forget the passionate kiss they shared in the moonlight.
The lyrics of "Such a Night" paint a vivid picture of a romantic, starlit evening that ignited a strong connection between two people. The use of repetition in the chorus emphasizes the intensity of the experience, conveying the profound impact this night had on the singer. The song's theme of lost love and longing for a past relationship is a common motif in Ray's music, as he often sang about heartbreak and the struggles of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Such a night
The singer is describing a memorable night
It was a night, ooo what a night it was
The singer is emphasizing how amazing the night was
It really was, such a night
The singer is confirming how unforgettable the night was
The moon was bright ooo how bright it was
The singer is describing how bright the moon was on that night
The night was alive with stars above
There were many stars in the sky on that night
And when she kissed me I had to fall in love
The singer fell in love after being kissed by someone on that night
It was a kiss mmmm what a kiss it was
The singer is describing how amazing the kiss was
How she could kiss ooo what a kiss it was
The singer is emphasizing how incredible the kiss was
Just part of her lips that sets me on fire
A small part of her lips made the singer feel an intense desire
I reminisce and I feel desire
The singer is remembering the kiss and still feels desire
I'd give my heart to her in sweet surrender
The singer is saying he would give everything to be with that person
How well I remember , I'll always remember
The singer is stating that he will always remember that night
Came the dawn and my heart and my love and the night was gone
The night ended and the singer lost the love he had found
But I'll never forget that kiss in the moonlight
Even though the love has gone, the singer will always remember the kiss
Now she's gone, gone gone
The person the singer kissed on that night is no longer with him
Came the dawn, dawn dawn
The night ended when the sun came up
And my heart was gone
The singer lost the love he found on that night
And her love was gone
The person the singer kissed on that night is no longer in love with him
But before the dawn oo oo oo oo such a night
Even though the night ended, the singer will never forget how amazing it was
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lincoln Chase
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary Pateman
SUCH A TALENT!!!
Joe Nania
+Mary Pateman Such a wild stage show too- JOHNNIE RAY was a great singer , performer as well as a great piano player too - - ! - - ! - - -- - Joe Nania a.k.a. Hollywood Joe
mrob75
....viewed as being quite a suggestive record for early 1954 listening ears, many radio stations pulled it off of their playlists! Took Elvis and the summer of '64 to bring this song fully into the light.
Project DX
Love this song and it's the best version ever. A lot of people don't realize before Elvis there was Johnnie Ray. Both him and Rnb legend Little Willie John sung my two favourite songs from this era. FEVER AND SUCH A NIGHT.
Cool Daddy
to call this version the best ever you must have hearing problems...a lot like Johnny Ray himself! Nothing beats Elvis' version.
MrMartininuk
You do realise that Clyde McPhatter sang the original.....
Joe Nania
+PROJECT DX YES - YES - JOHNNIE RAY and The FOUR LADS were the real deal - They influenced Elvis Presley and The Jordanaires - Elvis took a lot of the drama in his singing from JOHNNIE RAY - Joe Nania A.K.A. Hollywood Joe
daveyboy100
+Billy Roues Johnnie Ray and The Drifters had versions out at the same time in USA.
Billy Roues
@PROJECT DX Before Johnny Ray the Drifters did it
Gloria Fearnley
I've always loved this song and singer