Johnny Ray is a well-… Read Full Bio ↴Note there are two artists with similar names.
Johnny Ray is a well-known Latin music artist (percussionist and band leader). A native of Puerto Rico, he moved to New York, where he formed several bands (starting in the 60's) focused on salsa and tropical music. His current band ("Salsa Con Clase") continues to perform (see: http://www.salsaconclase.com/).
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Johnnie Ray (born on 10 January 1927 in Hopewell, Oregon, USA – 24 February 1990) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.
Ray's 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".[3] Selling over two million copies of the 78rpm single, Ray's delivery struck a chord with teenagers and he quickly became a teen idol
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.[citation needed] 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.
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.
Ray first attracted the attention of Bernie Lang, a song plugger, who was taken to the Flame Showbar nightclub in Detroit, Michigan by local DJ, Robin Seymour of WKMH. "We were both excited" Seymour recalls. "We heard two shows that first night."
Lang rushed off to New York to sell the singer to Danhy Kessler, the "Mr. Big" of the Okeh label, which is a subsidiary of Columbia Records. Kessler came over from New York, and he, Lang and Seymour went to the Flame. According to Seymour, Kessler's re-action was, "Well, I don't know. This kid looks well on the stand, but he will never go on records."
It was Seymour and Lowell Worley of the local office of Columbia who persuaded Kessler to have a test record made of Johnnie Ray. Worley arranged for a record to be cut at the United Sound Studios in Detroit. Seymour told reporter Dick Osgood that there was a verbal agreement that he would be cut in on the three-way deal in the management of Johnnie Ray. But the deal mysteriously evaporated, and so did Seymour's friendship with Danny Kessler.[2]
Ray's 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.[3]
Ray's performing style included theatrics later associated with rock 'n roll, including beating up his piano, writhing on the floor and crying.[citation needed] Ray quickly earned the nicknames "Mr. Emotion", "The Nabob of Sob", and "The Prince of Wails", and several others.[3]
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.
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.
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.[6] 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.[7] 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.
Ray had issues surface regarding his sexuality several times in his career, including two arrests for soliciting men for sex. Ray quietly pleaded guilty and paid a fine after the first arrest, in the restroom of the Stone Theatre burlesque house in Detroit, which was just prior to the release of his first record in 1951. Ray went to trial following the second arrest in 1959, also in Detroit, for soliciting an undercover officer in one of the city's gay bars. He was found not guilty.
Despite these issues, Ray married Marilyn Morrison a short time after he gave his first New York concert, which was at the Copacabana in 1952. The wedding ceremony, attended by New York mayor Vincent R. Impellitteri, made the cover of the New York Daily News.[10] Morrison, the daughter of a Los Angeles nightclub owner,[10] was aware of the singer's sexuality from the start, telling a friend she would "straighten it out."[9] The couple separated in 1953 and divorced in 1954.
In the years hence, writers have noted that the marriage occurred under false pretenses, and that Ray had a long-term relationship with his manager, Bill Franklin. Ray also had a relationship with columnist Dorothy Kilgallen, whom he met following an appearance on What's My Line? in 1956. Kilgallen was a strong support for Ray during the 1959 solicitation trial.
Ray drank regularly and his alcoholism caught up with him in 1960, when he was hospitalized for tuberculosis. He recovered but continued drinking, and was diagnosed with cirrhosis at age fifty.
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 short-lived. He performed in small American venues such as El Camino College in 1987.[10] Australian, English and Scottish promoters booked him for their large venues as late as 1989, his last year of performing.
On 24 February 1990, Ray died of liver failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He is buried at Hopewell Cemetery near Hopewell, Oregon.
For his contribution to the recording industry, Johnnie Ray has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard.
Hey There
Johnny Ray Lyrics
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The lyrics to Johnny Ray's song "Hey There" are about a person who is love-struck and infatuated with someone who is out of their reach. The song initially addresses the person with the "stars in their eyes" who has been lucky enough not to let love make a fool out of them. The singer goes on to address the person who is "on that high flying cloud" but is still holding out hope that their love interest will come to them someday, despite the fact that she is aloof and uninterested.
The singer advises this person to forget the object of their affection, as she has him "dancing on a string." He warns that if he breaks it, she won't care. The singer then asks if the person is willing to take his advice as if he were handing it to him like a brother, or if he is too blinded by love to see the situation clearly. He wonders if the advice is going "in one ear and out the other," implying that the person is not really hearing what he is saying.
Overall, the lyrics speak to the universal experience of unrequited love and the pain that comes with it. The singer is empathetic to the person's situation but also practical, urging them to move on and not waste their time on someone who does not reciprocate their feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes
Hello, person who looks at the world through rose-colored glasses.
Love never made a fool of you
You've never been blinded by your emotions.
You used to be too wise
You were smart enough to recognize when someone was playing games with you.
Hey there, you on that high flying cloud
You're on top of the world, feeling great.
Tho' she won't throw a crumb to you
Even though the person you love won't give you the time of day.
You think some day she'll come to you
You hold out hope that one day they will return your feelings.
Better forget her
You should move on and forget about this person.
Her with her nose in the air
She thinks she's better than everyone else.
She has you dancing on a string
She's controlling and manipulating you.
Break it and she won't care
If you break free from her control, she'll move on without a second thought.
Won't you take this advice
I'm giving you some friendly advice.
I hand you like a brother
I care about you like a sibling.
Or are you not seeing things too clear
Maybe you're not thinking clearly about the situation.
Are you too much in love to hear
Your emotions might be clouding your judgment.
Is it all going in one ear and out the other
Are you even really listening to what I'm saying?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADLER, RICHARD / ROSS, JERRY J.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Gallagher
I'm glade I made your day. I think more people would have remembered Johnnie's version of this song had not Rosy's been such a big hit. She sucked the air out of all the other recording of this song.
Dragonese1
Really, really love anything done by Johnnie Ray. He was one of the masters of music. Love his Cryin in the Rain and The Little White Cloud that Cried too. There was something special about his voice. You could pick it out in a crowd of thousands and I love this man and his music. Thank you so much for bringing back so many of the special people that made music what it is today. God bless and keep them coming...
catman916
I had not heard this version before. He does a very good job. This has a 1940s feel.
daveyboy100
Johnnie reached position 5 in the UK hit parade in Oct/Nov 1955 and top 30 in the US. Of all the versions released in UK, Johnnie had the biggest seller over a period of time.
Dragonese1
So thrilled when I received my list yesterday for my subscriptions. When I saw this one I squealed with joy. Didn;t know anyone had this. The history on this song is an added plus. I knew that many had recorded this but didn't realize that Rosemary Clooney mad it to #1. Thank you so very much for sharing. Just love it and you also. Music is another word for love.
Corrie121
So good to hear this version again. This is my favourite version of this fantastic song. Thanks for sharing.
Atze Shaw
The healing sound of Johnny Ray. Thanks so much for your efforts!
Mark Gallagher
Thank You, My wife says my taste is too narrow I just like what I like and that is the music of the late 40's and the early 50's. There is no performers out today that can even come close to the great ones back then.
Johnnie Gallagher
Mark Gallagher. My name is Johnnie Ray Gallagher i thought it was funny when i saw our last name.
Loveoldies50
The only time I saw him perform was in a movie and once on TV. I was just a kid, but I became am instant fan. He had a great voice. And, like others, I think he would have been great during the rock and roll era. I think Elvis may have been influenced by his style. Very talented guy.