![]() “Gitarzan” returned Ray to the pop charts top ten in 1969. While at Mercury, Ray also recorded the hits “Harry the Hairy Ape” and “Santa Claus is Watching You.” Ray left Mercury and joined Monument Records as a producer overseeing new artists, including a young Dolly Parton. ![]() I’ll never forget that! The only Elvis session I ever played on, I played an instrument that I could barely hold.” Several years later Ray would publish “Way Down”, Elvis’ last hit before his death. It was a sort of Mexican song, so they asked Charlie and me to get our trumpets and play a little Mexican lick on it, and we did. I played keyboards, of course, and they didn’t need me to play on this particular song. Ray explained, “I’m a terrible trumpet player. He and Charlie McCoy even played trumpet on a session for Elvis Presley. Ray worked and developed friendships with many other performers including the Jordanaires, Brook Benton, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Goldsboro, Margie Singleton, Toni Wine, Lulu, “Mama” Cass Elliot, Brenda Lee, Ronnie Dove, Patti Page, and Chet Atkins. It was in one of those sessions he recorded, “Ahab the Arab”, which climbed to #5 on the pop charts in 1962. Ray arrived in Music City on January 2, 1962, were he worked on countless sessions as a pianist, arranger, and vocalist. Its success helped Ray land a job with Mercury Records in Nashville, TN. In 1961, Ray recorded “Jeremiah Peabody’s Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green and Purple Pills,” which reached #35 on the pop charts. In 1958, Ray recorded some tracks for Capitol and it was during this time that Bill Lowery formed the National Recording Corporation (NRC). It was on that trip that he met Chet Atkins, who was the head of A&R for RCA and a lasting friendship was formed. In 1957, while he was still in high school, Ray made his first trip to Nashville and recorded his first track, “Silver Bracelet”, at the now historic RCA “B” studio. Ken liked the song and signed me to a contract with Prep Records.” He called Ken Nelson at Capitol Records, who was coming to Nashville a lot during those days to produce records. I went there one Sunday by myself and made a demo of a song that I and a friend had written called, “Silver Bracelet”. The room had a very high ceiling and a piano on a little stage. I got the key to the lunch room, which also served as the assembly hall, from the principal. I went out to his house and I said, ‘My name is Ray Ragsdale and I’m going to learn to write songs for you.’ He said, ‘Okay lad, go to it.’ I borrowed a little tape recorder from a friend. He was looking for talent to write songs. He was on several different radio stations around town and he had started a music publishing company. At age fifteen he sang and played piano in a band, the Barons and they played all over the area for the American Legion, the Elks, private parties…anywhere.Īt age seventeen he moved to Atlanta where he met radio personality and Georgia Tech football broadcaster, Bill Lowery. As a teenager in Albany, Georgia, he had absorbed many of the great Southern musical influences, from country to rhythm and blues. At the age of seven, Ray had a realization where, in his own words, “It all made sense.” From that time on music was his life. Ray’s mother encouraged him to take piano lessons. In those days radio stations were diverse and played music of all different styles and, along with the jukebox records, exposed Ray to an eclectic selection of music. Ray’s early influences came from the radio and the jukebox at the village swimming pool where Ray and most kids spent their summers. ![]() Ray Stevens was born Harold Ray Ragsdale in Clarkdale, Georgia on January 24, 1939. Not only a singer and composer, Ray has also produced, arranged, and performed on many legendary Nashville recordings. Businessman” to his Grammy award-winning “Everything Is Beautiful”, Ray’s talent has touched so many around the world. From his multi-million selling comedy hit, “The Streak” to the socially aware “Mr. His style is unaffected and unpretentious which for the past sixty years has allowed for entertainment that is both witty and guileless. His humor is keenly observant and rich in nuance.
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