Johnnie Ray facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnnie Ray
Ray c. 1952
Background information
Birth name	John Alvin Ray
Born	(1927-01-10)January 10, 1927 Dallas, Oregon, U.S.
Died	February 24, 1990(1990-02-24) (aged 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Jazz blues rock and roll traditional pop
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter pianist
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1942–1989
Labels	Okeh Columbia

Johnnie Ray (born January 10, 1927 – died February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was very popular during the 1950s. Many people say Ray helped create what became rock and roll. This was because of his music, which mixed jazz and blues, and his exciting way of performing on stage. Famous singer Tony Bennett even called Johnnie Ray the "father of rock and roll." Historians see him as a very important person in the early days of this music style.

Johnnie Ray grew up in Dallas, Oregon. He was partly deaf. He started singing professionally at age 15 on radio stations in Portland. He became well-known by singing in small clubs in Detroit. There, he was discovered in 1949 and signed with Okeh Records. This company was part of Columbia Records. He quickly became famous in the United States. This happened after his first album, Johnnie Ray (1952), came out. He also had a huge hit with a 78 rpm single. Both sides of this record, "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud That Cried", reached the top of the Billboard magazine charts.

In 1954, Ray acted in his first movie, There's No Business Like Show Business. He was part of a group of actors that included Ethel Merman and Marilyn Monroe. His music career in the United States started to slow down around 1957. His American record company stopped working with him in 1960. He never became as popular in the US again. He rarely appeared on American television after 1973. However, his fans in the United Kingdom and Australia stayed loyal to him. He remained popular there until he passed away in 1990. He died from problems related to liver failure.

The book British Hit Singles & Albums said that Ray was "a sensation in the 1950s." His emotional singing in "Cry" influenced many artists, including Elvis Presley. He was a huge teen idol before Elvis became famous. Music experts say Ray's dramatic stage shows and sad songs influenced later singers. These include artists like Leonard Cohen and Morrissey.

Early Life and Hearing Loss

Johnnie Ray was born on January 10, 1927, in Dallas, Oregon. His parents were Hazel and Elmer Ray. He grew up on a farm with his older sister, Elma. He went to grade school in Dallas. Johnnie started playing the piano when he was just three years old. By age 12, he was singing in his local church choir. When World War II began, his family moved to Portland, Oregon. There, Johnnie went to Franklin High School.

When he was 13, Johnnie became deaf in his left ear. This happened during a Boy Scout game called a "blanket toss." In later years, Johnnie always wore a hearing aid when he performed. In 1958, he had surgery that made him almost completely deaf in both ears. But hearing aids still helped him a lot. Johnnie believed his hearing loss was very important to his career and how he performed. He once said, "My need for sincerity traces back to when I was a child and lost my hearing. I became withdrawn. I had an emotional need to develop a relationship to other people." After high school, Johnnie worked different jobs. He played piano at clubs in Salem and Portland.

Music Career

Starting Out and Becoming Famous

Johnnie Ray was inspired by singers like Kay Starr, LaVern Baker, and Ivory Joe Hunter. He created his own special singing style. It was a mix of early rhythm and blues and more traditional classic pop music. He began singing professionally on a Portland, Oregon, radio station when he was 15. He shared the stage with Jane Powell, who was also a young local singer.

Later, he performed in comedy shows and plays in Seattle, Washington. Then he moved to Detroit, Michigan. In Detroit, Johnnie often sang at the Flame Show Bar Talent Club. This was an African-American nightclub. He became very popular there. While performing at the Flame, Johnnie caught the eye of Bernie Lang. Lang worked to find new songs for singers. Lang then went to New York to tell Danny Kessler of Okeh Records about Johnnie. Kessler came to Detroit to see Johnnie perform. At first, Kessler wasn't sure if Johnnie would be good for records.

But Robin Seymour, a local DJ, and Lowell Worley from Columbia Records convinced Kessler to record Johnnie. They made a test record at United Sound Studios in Detroit. Johnnie's first record for Okeh was "Whiskey and Gin" in 1951. It was a small hit. When the people at Okeh's parent company, Columbia Records, saw that Johnnie had many fans, they moved him to the Columbia label.

In 1952, he became a huge star in America. His double-sided hit single, "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud That Cried", sold over two million copies. Johnnie's emotional singing really connected with teenagers. He quickly became a teen idol. He appeared on the live TV show Toast of the Town (later called The Ed Sullivan Show) for the first time on January 6, 1952. He appeared on the show many times after that.

Ray in There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)

Johnnie Ray's performances were very dramatic. He would tear at his hair, fall to the floor, and even cry on stage. This style was later seen in rock and roll music. People gave him nicknames like "Mr. Emotion" and "The Nabob of Sob." Johnnie's manager said that Elvis Presley often watched Johnnie's concerts.

In 1954, he was chosen to be in the movie There's No Business Like Show Business. He acted alongside famous stars like Ethel Merman and Marilyn Monroe. His second and last movie role was a small part as a police officer in Rogue's Gallery. This movie was not widely released. In the 1980s, when asked why he didn't make more movies, Johnnie said, "I was never asked."

After "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud That Cried" were big hits, more popular songs followed in the 1950s. These included "Please, Mr. Sun", "Such a Night", "Walkin' My Baby Back Home", and "Yes, Tonight Josephine". He had a number-one hit in the United Kingdom with "Just Walkin' in the Rain" in 1956. In 1957, "You Don't Owe Me a Thing" reached number 10 on the Billboard charts in the United States. Even though his popularity in America was going down, he stayed very popular in the United Kingdom. He even broke the attendance record at the London Palladium. In later years, he kept a strong fan base overseas, especially in Australia.

Later Career

Ray in 1969, as best man at Judy Garland's wedding in London, by Allan Warren

Johnnie Ray had a close friendship with journalist Dorothy Kilgallen. They became friends after he became famous in the United States. They stayed close even as his American career slowed down.

In 1969, Johnnie Ray went on a concert tour in Europe with Judy Garland. He was the best man at her wedding in London on March 15, 1969. They performed together in countries like Denmark and Sweden.

In the early 1970s, Johnnie's American career saw a small comeback. He had not released a new album or single in over ten years. He appeared on TV shows like The Andy Williams Show in 1970 and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson three times in 1972 and 1973. However, this comeback did not last long. His career began to decline again as the 1980s started.

In 1981, Johnnie hired a new manager, Alan Eichler. He started performing again with a small group of musicians instead of a big orchestra. When he performed in New York in 1981, The New York Times newspaper wrote about him. They said it was interesting that Johnnie Ray, whose rhythm and blues style helped create rock and roll, was not seen much in the US anymore. They also mentioned that Ringo Starr of the Beatles said Johnnie Ray was one of the three singers the Beatles listened to when they were starting out.

In 1986, Johnnie Ray appeared in Billy Idol's music video for "Don't Need a Gun." During this time, Johnnie often played in smaller places in the United States. He performed at Citrus College in California in 1987 with a "big-band group." He also performed at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas and Resorts International in Atlantic City.

Even though his popularity in the United States continued to go down in the 1980s, promoters in Australia, England, and Scotland booked him for large shows as late as 1989. This was his last year of performing.

Musical Inspirations

Johnnie Ray was greatly influenced by gospel music. He was also inspired by many African American singers. These included Billie Holiday, Little Miss Cornshucks, and LaVern Baker. He also looked up to Judy Garland and Kay Starr.

Later Life and Passing

Health Challenges

In 1960, Johnnie Ray was in the hospital for tuberculosis. His music was not being sold, and he did not appear on American television for several years. Because of this, American newspapers would advertise his concerts but did not report much about his personal life or health.

It wasn't until December 1966 that Johnnie returned to American television. This was for a local show in Chicago called An Evening with Johnnie Ray. People who saw recordings of this show later said Johnnie looked very thin and unwell.

In the early 1970s, he appeared on prime-time TV in the United States several times. After these TV offers stopped, he continued to tour. He received a lot of attention from the media outside the United States. His final concert was a benefit show for the Grand Theater in Salem, Oregon, on October 6, 1989.

His Death

In early 1990, Johnnie Ray's health was very poor. He had to go to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center near his home in Los Angeles. He stayed there for more than two weeks. Journalists and radio hosts who had interviewed him in the 1980s did not know he was there.

On February 24, 1990, Johnnie Ray passed away at Cedars-Sinai. He died from hepatic encephalopathy, which is a brain problem caused by liver failure. Kay Starr was one of the people who spoke at a public memorial service for him. This service was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. He is buried at Hopewell Cemetery near Hopewell, Oregon.

Legacy

For his important contributions to the music industry, Johnnie Ray received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. His star is located at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard.

In 1999, Bear Family Records released two large sets of his complete music. Each set had five CDs and a book about his career. Companies like Sony Music Entertainment and Collectables have continued to release his many recordings around the world.

Music writer Robert A. Rodriguez wrote in his 2006 book that Johnnie Ray is "barely remembered today." But he explained that in the 1950s, Johnnie Ray was like a Leonard Cohen or a Morrissey. He created music that was very emotional and often sad. His songs had titles like "What's the Use" and "Oh, What a Sad, Sad Day." His stage shows were also very emotional. Johnnie Ray was a dominant force on the music charts before rock and roll took over.

A scholar named Cheryl Herr noted how Johnnie Ray's deafness affected his unique singing and performing style. She wrote that his hearing range seemed to shape his performances and his lasting importance in music history.

Selected Discography

Chart Hits

Studio Albums

• Johnnie Ray (Columbia, 1952)
• I Cry For You (Columbia, 1955)
• The Big Beat (Columbia, 1957)
• Till Morning (Columbia, 1958)
• On The Trail (Columbia, 1959)
• A Sinner Am I (Philips Records, United Kingdom, 1959)
• Johnnie Ray (aka Till the Clouds Roll By) (Liberty Records, 1962)
• Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Celebrity Records, United Kingdom, 1976)
• Remembering (K-Tel Records, stereo re-recordings of his hits)

Live Albums

• Johnnie Ray At The London Palladium (Philips Records, United Kingdom and other overseas territories, 1954)
• Johnnie Ray in Las Vegas (Columbia Records, United States, 1958)

Compilation Albums

• Johnny Ray's Greatest Hits (Columbia Records CL 1227)
• 20 Golden Greats (Columbia Records & Warwick Records, UK PR 5065 - 1979)
• High Drama: The Real Johnnie Ray (Columbia/Legacy, 1997)
• Cry (Bear Family Records, 1999)
• Yes Tonight, Josephine (Bear Family Records, 1999)

Songs Recorded

Film and Television Appearances

Film Roles

Television Shows