Price, born in Perryville, Texas, served with the U.S. Marines from 1944–1946, and began singing for KRBC in Abilene, Texas during 1948. He joined the Big D Jamboree in Dallas in 1949. He relocated to Nashville in the early 1950s, rooming for a brief time with Hank Williams. When Williams died, Price managed his band, the Drifting Cowboys, and had minor success. He was the first artist to have a success with the song "Release Me" (1954), a top five popular music hit for Engelbert Humperdinck in 1967.
In 1953, Price formed his band, the Cherokee Cowboys. Among its members during the late 1950s and early 1960s were; Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Darrell McCall, Van Howard, Johnny Paycheck and Johnny Bush, Buddy Emmons, Pete Wade, Jan Kurtis, Shorty Lavender and Buddy Spicher. Miller wrote one of Ray Price's classics in 1958, "Invitation to the Blues", and sang harmony on the recording. Additionally, Nelson composed the Ray Price song "Night Life".
Price became one of the stalwarts of 1950s honky tonk music, with hit songs such as "Talk To Your Heart" (1952) and "Release Me". He later developed the famous "Ray Price Shuffle," a 4/4 arrangement of honky tonk music with a walking bassline, which can be heard on "Crazy Arms" (1956) and many of his other recordings from the late 1950s.
During the 1960s, Ray experimented increasingly with the so-called Nashville sound, singing slow ballads and utilizing lush arrangements of strings and backing singers. Examples include his 1967 rendition of "Danny Boy", and "For the Good Times" in 1970 which was Price's first country music chart No. 1 hit since "The Same Old Me" in 1959. Written by Kris Kristofferson, the song also scored No. 11 on the popular music chart and featured a mellower Price backed by sophisticated musical sounds, quite in contrast to the honky tonk sounds Price had pioneered two decades before. Price had three more No. 1 country music successes during the 1970s: "I Won't Mention It Again", "She's Got To Be A Saint", and "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me." His final top ten hit was "Diamonds In The Stars" in early 1982. Price continued to have songs on the country music chart through 1989. Later, he sang gospel music and recorded such songs as "Amazing Grace", "What A Friend We Have In Jesus", "Farther Along" and "Rock of Ages."
In 2006, Price was living near Mount Pleasant, Texas and still performing in concerts throughout the country. In 2009, Price made two performances for the Fox News show Huckabee. The first was with the Cherokee Cowboys and host Mike Huckabee, and he performed "Crazy Arms" and "Heartaches By The Number". Weeks later he performed with the Cherokee Cowboys and Willie Nelson (again with Huckabee playing bass guitar). This time they performed duets of "Faded Love" and "Crazy."
Price worked on his latest album, Last of the Breed, with fellow country music singers Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. This album was released on March 20, 2007 by the company Lost Highway Records. The two-disc set features 20 country classics as well as a pair of new compositions. The trio toured the U.S. from March 9 until March 25 starting in Arizona and finishing in Illinois. This was Price's third album with Nelson and first album with Haggard. After the tour, Haggard remarked, "I told Willie when it was over, 'That old man gave us a goddamn singing lesson.' He really did. He just sang so good. He sat there with the mic against his chest. And me and Willie are all over the microphone trying to find it, and he found it."
On November 6, 2012, Ray Price confirmed that he was fighting pancreatic cancer. Price told the San Antonio Express-News that he had been receiving chemotherapy for the past six months. An alternative to the chemo would have been surgery that involved removing the pancreas along with portions of the stomach and liver, which would have meant a long recovery and stay in a nursing home. Said Price, "That's not very much an option for me. God knows I want to live as long as I can but I don't want to live like that." The 87-year-old Country Music Hall of Famer also told the newspaper, "The doctor said that every man will get cancer if he lives to be old enough. I don't know why I got it – I ain't old!" Price retained a positive outlook and hoped to play as many as a hundred concert dates in 2013.
As of early February 2013, the cancer appeared to be in remission. Sometime in May 2013, Price was hospitalized with severe dehydration. On December 2, 2013, Price entered a Tyler, Texas, hospital in the final stages of pancreatic cancer, according to his son, then left on December 12 for home hospice care. Price died at his home in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, on December 16, 2013.
In The Garden
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the voice I hear falling on my ear the son of God discloses
And he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known
He speaks and the sound of his voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing
And the melody that he gave to me within my heart is ringing
And he walks with me...
The song "In The Garden" by Ray Price is a beautiful and spiritual song about finding peace, comfort and a sense of belonging in the midst of nature. The lyrics describe the poet's experience of walking alone in the garden, where he hears the voice of Jesus speaking to him, and he feels the presence of the Son of God. The garden is a metaphorical representation of the poet's heart, where Jesus resides and provides him with guidance, support, and love.
The poet describes Jesus as a constant companion and a friend who walks with him and talks with him. The bond that they share is so profound and unique that none other has ever felt such joy and comfort in the presence of the Lord. The poet sings about the sweet sound of Jesus' voice, which is so soothing and gentle that even birds stop singing to listen to him. The melody that Jesus has given to the poet fills his heart with happiness and peace, and he feels blessed to have such a close relationship with the Son of God.
Overall, "In The Garden" is a beautiful and inspirational song about the power of faith, nature and love. It speaks to the spiritual nature of human beings and offers a sense of hope and comfort to those who are struggling with life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses
I find solitude in nature early in the morning, surrounded by the stillness of fresh dew on the roses.
And the voice I hear falling on my ear the son of God discloses
I hear the voice of God, revealing His divine presence and guidance to me.
And he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own
God walks and talks with me, affirming my belonging in His loving presence.
And the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known
Together, God and I experience a unique, unparalleled joy in our communion and stillness.
He speaks and the sound of his voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing
God's voice is so sweet and comforting that even the birds cease their singing to listen.
And the melody that he gave to me within my heart is ringing
God has planted a comforting melody within my heart, which I hear and feel as a reminder of His presence.
And he walks with me...
God continues to walk beside me, providing comfort and guidance, as I journey through life.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, DistroKid, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Stuart Keene Hine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank ryan
I was fortunate to see MR. Price in person once, they don ' t get any better. I'll miss Him.
Gordon Kurtz
Nobody sings like Ray Price.... beautiful.. beautiful.....
jeriw
You're right Gordon, hard to beat the Chief!!! I'm here in TX waiting to see him in concert on May 4th, can't wait.
wot342
The chief sure could sing Gospel, but then he could sing anything.