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.
Walkin' My Baby Back Home
Johnnie Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After staying out late
Walking my baby back home
Arm in arm over meadow and farm
Walking my baby back home
We go along harmonizing a song
Or I'm reciting a poem
Walking my baby back home
We stop for a while, she gives me a smile
And cuddles her cheek to my chest
We start in to pet and that's when I get
Her powder all over my vest
And just when I try to straighten my tie
She wants to borrow my comb
One kiss and then we continue again
Walking my baby back home
Well, gee, but it's great
After staying out late
Walking my baby back home
Well, arm in arm over meadow and farm
Walking my baby back home
Well, we go along, singing a song
I'm reciting a poem
Well, the owls go by and they gave me the eye
Walking my baby back home
We stop for a while, she gives me a smile
And cuddles her cheek to my chest
Well, we start in to pet and that's when I get
Her powder all over my vest
And just when I try to straighten my tie
She wants to borrow my comb
One kiss and then we do it again
Walking my baby back home
The lyrics in Johnnie Ray's song, "Walking My Baby Back Home" describes a romantic date night with his lover. The song talks about how wonderful it is to be in each other's company, spending time under the stars, and walking through meadows and farms together. Johnnie and his lover are arm in arm, singing and reciting poems while the owls watch them as they walk by. They stop for a few moments, and she gives Johnnie a smile and cuddles her cheek on his chest, which leads to them sharing romantic moments together. When he tries to tidy himself up, she borrows his comb and leaves her powder all over his vest. Despite the small inconvenience, they continue to walk arm in arm and share a kiss before parting ways.
The song depicts a nostalgic and romantic picture of dating in the 1950s. It perfectly captures the essence of a perfect romantic evening. The song highlights the importance of being in the presence of one's lover, taking long walks while holding hands, reciting poems, holding each other tight, and sharing intimate moments together. It portrays the importance of being present in the moment and cherishing every single moment spent together, which is a timeless lesson that resonates with many people, whether in the past or present.
In conclusion, "Walking My Baby Back Home" is a classic, romantic song that captures the essence of dating in the 1950s perfectly. It highlights the importance of cherishing every moment spent with the person you love and taking the time to appreciate their company fully.
Line by Line Meaning
Well now, gee, but it's great
I am really enjoying walking my baby back home after staying out late tonight.
After staying out late
We had a fun night before walking back home.
Walking my baby back home
We are walking back home together.
Arm in arm over meadow and farm
We are holding each other while walking through the countryside.
We go along harmonizing a song
We are singing a song together while we walk.
Or I'm reciting a poem
Sometimes I recite poems while we walk.
The owls go by and they gave me the eye
We see some owls looking at us while we walk.
Walking my baby back home
We are still walking back home together.
We stop for a while, she gives me a smile
We decide to take a break and my baby smiles at me.
And cuddles her cheek to my chest
She snuggles up to me and puts her cheek on my chest.
We start in to pet and that's when I get
We begin to show affection to each other and she ends up getting powder on my vest.
Her powder all over my vest
My baby's powder ends up on my vest.
And just when I try to straighten my tie
I try to make myself look more presentable and fix my tie.
She wants to borrow my comb
She then asks to borrow my comb.
One kiss and then we continue again
We share a kiss and then continue walking back home.
Well, gee, but it's great
I am still really enjoying walking my baby back home.
Arm in arm over meadow and farm
We are still holding each other while walking through the countryside.
Walking my baby back home
We are almost back home together.
Well, we go along, singing a song
We continue to sing a song together.
I'm reciting a poem
Sometimes I recite more poems while we walk.
Well, the owls go by and they gave me the eye
We see more owls looking at us while we walk.
Walking my baby back home
We finally arrive back home together.
Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp., Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fred E. Ahlert, Roy Turk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lorenzotorres4601
Del arcón de la música que llegó para quedarse.
@miguelosvaldofloresdomingu8911
Nice song. Johnnie Ray was a hell of a singer. One of the best voice of the early years of the fifties.
@mrbubetube
he played the skin flute
@fromthesidelines
Recorded on February 7, 1952.
@rubewaddell1704
Australia's 11th number one hit.
@Celluloidwatcher
Very nice version of the classic pop tune, Walkin' My Baby Back Home. Used to listen to it on so-called Music of Your Life radio stations aimed at WWII and postwar generation listeners. Now that they are passing on, you don't have much of this music to offer new generations of listeners. I think such music, like symphonic classical music, should be passed on from one generation to the next so that the latter can learn how their great grandparents enjoyed it. You can't just stop playing/listening to it because certain populations are declining in numbers. Thankfully, vehicles like YouTube can provide those lessons.
@loisraymcinnis6006
16-Jun-2022. 7:21 am.
@loisraymcinnis6006
09-SEP-2022. 6:24 AM FRI.
@loisraymcinnis6006
6:36 PM THUR 25-AUG-2022.
@loisraymcinnis6006
1:32 AM MON 21-NOV-2022.