Paul Lynde
American comedian and actor (1926-1982)
Johnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist who was highly popular in the 1950s. He was a major precursor to rock and roll, known for his jazz and blues-influenced music and animated stage persona. Ray was discovered in 1949 and quickly rose to fame, but his career in the US began to decline in the late 1950s, though he remained popular in the UK and Australia.
Table of Contents
About the Johnnie Ray
John Alvin Raywas an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Highly popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor to what became rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music, and his animated stage personality. Tony Bennett called Ray the “father of rock and roll”, and historians have noted him as a pioneering figure in the development of the genre.
Born and raised in Dallas, Oregon, Ray, who was partially deaf, began singing professionally at age 15 on Portland radio stations. He gained a local following singing at small, predominantly African-American nightclubs in Detroit, where he was discovered in 1949 and subsequently signed to Okeh Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. He rose quickly from obscurity in the United States with the release of his debut album Johnnie Ray (1952), as well as with a 78 rpm single, both of whose sides reached the Billboard magazine’s Top Hot 100 chart, “Cry” and “The Little White Cloud That Cried”.
In 1954, Ray made his first film, There’s No Business Like Show Business as part of an ensemble cast that included Ethel Merman and Marilyn Monroe. His career in the music business in his native United States began to decline in 1957, and his American record label dropped him in 1960. He never regained a strong following there and rarely appeared on American television after 1973. Ray’s last television appearance in the United States was on a 1977 syndicated broadcast of Sha Na Na. His fanbases in the United Kingdom and Australia remained strong until his final global concert tour in 1989, however.
British Hit Singles & Albums noted that Ray was “a sensation in the 1950s; the heart-wrenching vocal delivery of ‘Cry’ … influenced many acts including Elvis, and was the prime target for teen hysteria in the pre-Presley days.” Ray’s dramatic stage performances and melancholic songs have been credited by music historians as precursory to later performers ranging from Leonard Cohen to Morrissey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Johnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist who was highly popular in the 1950s. He was known as a major precursor to rock and roll, with his jazz and blues-influenced music and animated stage personality.
Johnnie Ray was born and raised in Dallas, Oregon.
Johnnie Ray, who was partially deaf, began singing professionally at age 15 on Portland radio stations. He gained a local following singing at small, predominantly African-American nightclubs in Detroit, where he was discovered in 1949 and subsequently signed to Okeh Records.
Johnnie Ray’s debut album Johnnie Ray (1952) and the 78 rpm single featuring the songs ,Cry, and ,The Little White Cloud That Cried, were both major hits, reaching the Billboard Top Hot 100 chart.
Johnnie Ray’s dramatic stage performances and melancholic songs have been credited by music historians as precursory to later performers ranging from Leonard Cohen to Morrissey.
Johnnie Ray’s career in the music business in his native United States began to decline in 1957, and his American record label dropped him in 1960. He never regained a strong following there and rarely appeared on American television after 1973.
Johnnie Ray’s fanbases in the United Kingdom and Australia remained strong until his final global concert tour in 1989.