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.
You Don't Owe Me a Thing
Johnnie Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Johnnie Ray
Don't, be nice to me
just because I'm your
use to be
Forget me,
You don't owe me a thing
My heart
is crying now.
But it will laugh
again somehow
Forget me,
You don't owe me a thing.
You lend your heart,
You never give,
I guess I should have known.
These teardrops fallin'
from my eyes
are interest on a loan.
Don't, be nice to me
just because I'm your
use to be
Forget me,
You don't owe me a thing
instrumental
Forget me,
Your don't owe me a thing.
Now you just lend your heart
You never give,
I guess I should have known.
These teardrops fallin'
from my eyes
are interest on a loan.
Don't, be nice to me
just because I'm your
use to be
Forget me,
You don't owe me a thing
From: JOLLYNOTE
The song "You Don't Owe Me a Thing" by Johnnie Ray is a powerful and heartfelt plea from a former lover to let go of their past and move on from the relationship. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer asking their former partner not to be nice to them out of obligation or guilt. The chorus reinforces this idea, with the repeated refrain "Forget me, you don't owe me a thing." The singer acknowledges their own hurt and heartache, but also recognizes that the relationship is over and it's time to let go.
The second verse takes a more emotional turn, with the singer lamenting that they "lend your heart" but never truly give it. This echoes the sentiment of the first verse, where the singer is asking their former partner not to be "nice" out of duty. The use of financial language in the line "These teardrops fallin' from my eyes are interest on a loan" is particularly poignant, underscoring the transactional nature of the relationship and the debt that the singer feels they are owed.
Overall, "You Don't Owe Me a Thing" is a deeply emotional song that explores the complex feelings that come with the end of a relationship. The singer is trying to come to terms with their own pain while also acknowledging that it's time to move on and let go of the past. The message of the song is both sad and uplifting, a reminder that sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to let go and allow ourselves to heal.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't, be nice to me
Please don't show me kindness.
just because I'm your use to be
Just because I was once important to you, it doesn't mean you have to treat me well.
Forget me,
Please try to forget me.
You don't owe me a thing
You have no obligation to me.
My heart is crying now.
My heart is currently in pain.
But it will laugh again somehow
In due time, my heart will heal and be happy again.
You lend your heart,
You only loan out your love temporarily.
You never give,
You don't fully commit to someone, only offering temporary affection.
I guess I should have known.
I should've realized this earlier.
These teardrops fallin' from my eyes
My crying is a result of my heartbreak.
are interest on a loan.
They are a consequence of my own investment of emotions into our relationship.
instrumental
No lyrics in this section.
Now you just lend your heart
Even now, you're just loaning out your love.
Forget me,
Please forget about me.
Your don't owe me a thing.
You have no obligation to me.
Contributed by Logan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@johnerwin7715
What a voice.
@fromthesidelines
Recorded on November 15, 1956.
@richardreese5412
Is the writer MARTY Robbins? I can see him doing this song (much better than Johnnie).
@the45prof98
Yes, it was written by Marty Robbins: https://secondhandsongs.com/work/28972/all
@johnjames4591
Well you’re entitled to your opinion but musically Johnny Ray has the better voice. But don’t get me wrong Marty was very talented also. White Sportcoat was HIS song.
@richardreese5412
@John James If by better you mean shouting off key then Johnnie was definitely better.
@frankhyland6333
@richard reese Shouting off key? where, when? I don't know anyone who sings it better, including Marty Robbins. Marty's version is slower in a middle of the road manner.
@richardreese5412
@Frank Hyland Where? How about "Cry"? When? How about 1951??? With all due respect, Johnnie couldn't sing as good as Marty in his dreams.
@JimHerrington_UncorrectedProof
Marty's version: https://youtu.be/K4rGZw3CYoA