As a child Anthony, born Raymond Antonini in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he studied the trumpet with his father. He played in Glenn Miller's band from 1940–1941 and appeared in the Glenn Miller movie Sun Valley Serenade in 1941 before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he formed his own group. The Ray Anthony Orchestra became very popular in the early 1950s, with recordings that included Anthony's classic dance songs "The Bunny Hop" and the "Hokey Pokey," as well as the theme music from Dragnet. He had a #2 chart hit with a remake of the Glenn Miller tune, "At Last" in 1952.
From 1953-1954 Anthony was the musical director on the television series TV's Top Tunes, and he also appeared as himself in the 1955 film Daddy Long Legs. In 1955 Anthony married his second wife, the sex symbol actress Mamie Van Doren. Their son Perry Ray was born March 18, 1956. He then began expanding his own acting career. He starred in a short-lived television 1956-1957 variety show, The Ray Anthony Show. Anthony also appeared in several films during the late 1950s, including The Five Pennies (where he portrayed Jimmy Dorsey), and Van Doren's movies High School Confidential as "Bix" and Girls Town. In the 1959-1960 television season, he guest starred in the episode "Operation Ramrod" of David Hedison's espionage series Five Fingers on NBC.
After van Doren filed for divorce in 1958, citing cruelty, they finally divorced in 1960, and Anthony's brief film career ended at about the same time. However, he continued his musical career and had another hit record with the theme from Peter Gunn, which reached #8 on Billboard's pop chart. Among his pianists was Allen "Puddler" Harris, a native of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, who had been a member of the original Ricky Nelson band and Kellie Green, who also played the vibraphone.
Anthony was considered one of the most modern of the big band leaders. In the lyrics to "Opus One", which imagine a number of players performing the song, he is cited along with Les Brown and his Band of Renown:
If Mr. Les Brown can make it renowned
And Ray Anthony could rock it for me
Anthony and his band were also featured in the movie, The Girl Can't Help It, and were treated as one of the rockers in the line-up, but also shown in performances with Mansfield that are essential to the plot.
Ray Anthony's compositions include "Thunderbird", "Bunny Hop", "Trumpet Boogie", "Big Band Boogie", and "Mr. Anthony's Boogie".
In the early 1980s, Anthony formed Big Band '80s, other members including Buddy Rich, Harry James, Les Brown, and Alvino Rey.
Anthony, who has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, continues to be active as a bandleader and musician.
Anthony is a close friend of Hugh Hefner and has appeared in numerous episodes of The Girls Next Door.
Just Friends
Ray Anthony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just friends, but not like before
To think of what we've been and not to kiss again
Seems like pretending it isn't the ending
Two friends drifting apart
Two friends, but one broken heart
We loved, we laughed, we cried, and suddenly love died
The song Just Friends by Ray Anthony depicts a couple who have decided to end their romantic relationship and become just friends. The lyrics portray a sense of mourning for the end of their love affair, as the two reflect on memories of their time together. The lines "To think of what we've been and not to kiss again / Seems like pretending it isn't the ending" highlight the difficulty of maintaining a platonic relationship after a romantic one, and the internal conflict that comes with still having feelings for an ex-partner. The lyrics "Two friends, but one broken heart / We loved, we laughed, we cried, and suddenly love died" also paint a picture of the hurt and pain that comes with the end of a relationship.
Overall, the song Just Friends speaks to the bittersweet nature of ending a romantic relationship and transitioning to a friendship. It illustrates the pain of moving on from a person you once loved deeply, but also the possibility of finding new ways to connect with them in a non-romantic way.
Line by Line Meaning
Just friends, lovers no more
We are only friends now, we are no longer intimate partners
Just friends, but not like before
Although we are just friends, our relationship has changed and is not the same as before
To think of what we've been and not to kiss again
It's hard to not think about our past romantic relationship and not be able to kiss each other again
Seems like pretending it isn't the ending
It feels like we are pretending that our romantic relationship isn't over, but it really is the end
Two friends drifting apart
We are two friends who are slowly growing apart
Two friends, but one broken heart
We are still friends, but one of us is hurting because of the end of our romantic relationship
We loved, we laughed, we cried, and suddenly love died
We had a loving, happy, and emotional relationship, but suddenly our love for each other faded away
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOHN KLENNER, SAM M. LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CesarGomez-yh2ly
los sonidos maravillosos de la orquesta de Ray Anthony, son un sueño y mas cuando uno está enamorado como a mi me pasó. mmmm
@davidwalsh3439
A truly great bandleader. This performance is special.
@davefogelstrom8940
Did you Ray is 95 years old & his horn as sweet as sweet as ever?
@juancavada6929
Muchas gracias; me recuerda de mis años jóvenes, enamorados del amor y de esta música escuchándola y soñando en la plaza de Copiapó.j.c.
@rubenmedina1186
QUE ENVIDIA...NO HABER VIVIDO ESA EPOCA. PARA PODER BAILAR ESA MUSICA TAN FINA
@LGranthamsHeir
Happy 100th birthday, Ray Anthony! The last surviving bandleader of the Big Band Era is still entertaining us! May you continue to do so for more years to come!
@albiondi4078
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAY! 100! YEARS YOUNG !
@benjaminmejia8758
Benjamín Mejía. ¡Que linda melodía para recordar y bailar!. Gracias y saludos.
@antoniograndi4165
Grande RAY e la Sua Orchestra; bellissimo pezzo musicale. Antonio
@josephlacerva5047
My wife Ina and I loved Ray and his band in the Forties when he played at Broadway's Arcadia Ballroom in NYC. When he spotted us from the stage, next number woud be OUR WALTZ. He was a very special human being and we loved him dearly.
I am now nearly 89. My Ina has been gone since 1972 but it is still wonderful now to rediscover his music. May both rest in peace.