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.
Pretend
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you'll find happiness with odd and end whenever you pretend
Remember anyone can dream and nothing's bad as it may seem
A little things you haven't got could be a lot if you'll pretend
You'll find a love you can share one you can call all your own
Just close your eyes she'll be there you'll never be alone
And if you'll sing this melody you'll be pretending just like me
(You'll find a love you can share one you can call all your own)
Just close your eyes she'll be there you'll never be alone
And if you'll sing this melody you'll be pretending just like me
The world is mine it can be yours my friend so why don't you pretend
The song "Pretend" by Ray Price is a heart-warming classic that encourages listeners to escape from their realities by pretending. The upbeat country tune opens with lyrics that advise listeners to pretend to be happy, even when they're feeling sad, as it's not difficult to do so. According to the singer, pretending can lead to finding happiness in the smallest things. The subsequent lyrics urge listeners not to worry too much about their problems and remember that anyone can dream. The song reminds us that sometimes the things we don’t have are not that significant, and we should appreciate the things we do have in life.
In the second verse, Price sings of finding love through pretending. The lyrics suggest that by pretending to have someone in your life, you'll never have to feel alone. All you have to do is close your eyes and imagine your perfect companion, and they will be there. The final part of the song includes a call to sing along, and the singer assures listeners that if they do so, they'll be pretending just like him. The conclusion of the song is uplifting, as Price states that the world can be yours if you pretend.
In conclusion, "Pretend" is an inspirational song that encourages listeners to find happiness in their lives, no matter what their circumstances may be. By pretending, the song suggests that people can escape their problems and find comfort in their own minds. The song teaches us to appreciate the little things in life and imagine a happier and fulfilled existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretend you're happy when you're blue it isn't very hard to do
If you pretend to be happy when you are actually sad, it is not difficult to fake it until you start feeling better.
And you'll find happiness with odd and end whenever you pretend
When you pretend to be content, you may find joy in the little things in life that you did not notice before.
Remember anyone can dream and nothing's bad as it may seem
Everyone has the ability to dream, and things might not be as terrible as they appear.
A little things you haven't got could be a lot if you'll pretend
By pretending that we have what we do not, we may come to the realization that the things we possess are sufficient and might fulfill us.
You'll find a love you can share one you can call all your own
If you pretend that you have love in your life, that which is authentic may come to you.
Just close your eyes she'll be there you'll never be alone
Closing your eyes and pretending someone is there with you can alleviate loneliness and make you feel better.
And if you'll sing this melody you'll be pretending just like me
If you sing this song, you will also be pretending to be happy, just like the singer of this tune.
The world is mine it can be yours my friend so why don't you pretend
If we pretend that we have the whole world, it could become ours, so there's no harm in pretending.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cliff Parman, Dan Belloc, Frank La Vere, Lew Douglas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lea Armstrong
"Pretend" What can I say? Ray fantastic! Every time I hear him sing this song, the tears come. First off, it's such a beautiful song and secondly when he puts his voice to it...... God it's out of this world. I play it over and over.
Shirley Wolfe
me to lovr it
jeriw
This is my song of the week this week. Ray has so many I swear I change my favorites weekly. I'll see him in person this Saturday. 3 days and counting.
latokatn506
very nice Jamie thank's for this great song Ray is one of the best IMO
jeriw
I saw Ray on May 4th and he didn't look too well but sang great then on the 6th I was back home and I heard that he'd been hospitalized for severe dehydration. He's been out and back in twice since then, this last time for kidney stones due to the dehydration. They surgically removed some of them. Janie says he might be coming home soon, but not sure how long it'll be before he goes back on tour. I just want him to rest up for awhile and get healthy. But his new CD might be out soon.
LuckenbachTexas7499
A wonderful old song here. Heard a band at the Cotton Club in Granger, Texas playing this song the other day.
wot342
Thanks Jamie. I found the Kennedy foundation site and submitted Ray to be an honoree.They make the announcement in Sept if I remember correctly. Wouldn't it be nice if we all campaigned to them for his selection. If just his Facebook fans would, it would be over 20,000. I input it on his Facebook that I had submitted, but did not see it posted. Your comments please.
Elvis Aron Presley by Rusty Martin
Tell me where I can find the site
Bill Zuber
Thanks Jamie. The Master again.
小川藤夫
Good