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.
Remember Me
Ray Price Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remember me I'm the one who loves you
And when the world has turned you down and not a true friend can be found
Remember me I'm the one who loves you
And through all kinds of weather you'll find I'll never change
Through the sunshine and the shadows I'll always be the same
We're together right or wrong and where you go I'll tag along
And through all kinds of weather...
In Ray Price's song Remember Me, the lyrics speak to a sense of loneliness and the need for companionship in times of trouble. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Remember me I'm the one who loves you," serving as a reminder that even amidst life's difficulties, there is someone who cares for and supports the singer. The lyrics also suggest a steadfastness and loyalty, with the lines "Through the sunshine and the shadows I'll always be the same" and "We're together right or wrong and where you go I'll tag along." The repetition of the phrase "Remember me" underscores the importance of the singer's presence in the listener's life, even when they are physically apart.
Overall, the song speaks to the human need for connection and the comfort that can come from knowing that we are loved and supported. It also touches on the importance of loyalty and steadfastness in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're all alone and blue no one to tell your troubles to
Whenever you feel lonely and have no one to confide in your problems, remember that I am always there for you.
Remember me I'm the one who loves you
I am the one who loves you deeply and unconditionally, and I will always be there to support you through everything.
And when the world has turned you down and not a true friend can be found
In times when the world seems to be against you and you can't seem to find a true friend, remember that you can always count on me.
And through all kinds of weather you'll find I'll never change
Regardless of what challenges we may face in life, my unyielding love for you will remain steady and unwavering.
Through the sunshine and the shadows I'll always be the same
No matter if it’s a bright day or a gloomy one, my love for you will never diminish or change.
We're together right or wrong and where you go I'll tag along
No matter the circumstances, I will always be by your side, supporting you even if it means making mistakes together.
Remember me I'm the one who loves you
Your love is the most important thing to me, and I will always cherish and care for you no matter what.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Stuart Hamblen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind