Ray Walker (singer) facts for kids

Ray Walker (born March 16, 1934) is a talented singer. He was a very important member of the famous singing group called the Jordanaires. Ray was the bass singer for the group for many years. He sang with them from 1958 until the group stopped performing together in 2013.

During his time with the Jordanaires, the group received many special honors. They were welcomed into the Country Music Hall of Fame. They also joined the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Ray Walker himself received the "Avalon Award" in 2005. This was the highest award from his old university, David Lipscomb University.

Ray Walker's Music Career

Singing with The Jordanaires

In the early 1960s, Ray Walker and other members of the Jordanaires helped create a special kind of country music. It was known as "The Nashville Sound". They sang backup harmonies for many famous artists. These included singers like Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves.

The Jordanaires also sang backup for Elvis Presley. They worked with him for 15 years, starting in 1956. They stopped when Elvis began doing many shows in Las Vegas.

Solo Work and Other Recordings

Ray Walker is also known for his solo recordings. He helped create albums and CDs of a cappella music. This means music sung without instruments. Groups like the Freed-Hardeman University Singers performed these songs.

For many years, Ray was the song director for "The Amazing Grace" bible program. This program was made by the Madison Church of Christ in Nashville. He has recorded over 600 a cappella worship songs. These songs have reportedly been heard in 77 different countries.

Ray Walker started singing in public when he was just 6 years old. He has been recorded almost every week since he was 13. In the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, he sometimes recorded 200 songs a week. These recordings helped churches with their worship services. It is thought that Ray Walker has been recorded on more than 200,000 songs. This is outside of his professional work with the Jordanaires. Because of this, he might be the most recorded voice in music history.

Current Activities

Ray Walker is one of the ministers at the Waverly Church of Christ. This church is in Waverly, Tennessee. He also continues to lead singing at different Churches of Christ.

As of 2019, Ray Walker still performs as a solo artist. After Gordon Stoker passed away in 2013 and the Jordanaires stopped performing, Ray is the last living member of the group's classic lineup. The group sometimes performed with country singer Ronnie McDowell. These shows honored the memory of Elvis Presley.

Ray also chats on Sirius/XM satellite radio about once a month. He talks with George Klein, a longtime disc jockey and friend of Elvis. Ray's most recent interview was in April 2016. He talked about how he joined the Jordanaires and Elvis's time in the recording studio.

Family Life

In September 1954, Ray Walker married Marilyn DuFresne. They have a big family. They have six children, fifteen grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren.