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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZRAY, Johnnie(b 10 January 1927, Rosebud OR; d 24 February 1990) Pop singer. Though partially deaf since childhood, he became a huge star in early '50s, still popular in UK decades later. LaVern Baker and her manager Al Green (no relation to the soul singer) helped him with his music in 1951; he was signed by OKeh, where 'Whiskey And Gin' (written by Ray) was a minor hit; then 'Cry'/'The Little White Cloud That Cried' with the Four Lads backing, produced by Mitch Miller, charted late that year, was no. 1 for eleven weeks, his emotional delivery becoming a staple for stand-up comics and mimics. Lots of people hated the record, and there was no better indicator of the death of the Big Band Era, but Ray was white, and the perceived emotionalism (derived from Rhythm & Blues) was something lacking in the pop music of the period. ('Cry' was written by Churchill Kohlman, later revived by Ray Charles '65, Ronnie Dove '66, Lynn Anderson '72; 'Cloud' was written by Ray.) He was switched to the parent Columbia label and hit with good old songs: 'Please, Mr Sun'/'Here Am I -- Brokenhearted' '52 saw both sides in top ten, still with the Four Lads, the latter written in 1927 by De Sylva, Brown and Henderson; 'Walkin' My Baby Back Home' was a jolly no. 4 same year, a 1930 song by Fred E. Ahlert and Roy Turk; sung by Donald O'Connor in the film of the same name '53, also recorded by Nat Cole. 'Somebody Stole My Gal' was a top ten '53 (by Leo Wood, from 1918); top 20 'Candy Lips' that year was a duet with Doris Day; 'Such A Night' '54 was top 20 (written by Lincoln Chase, also a hit for the Drifters '54, recorded by Elvis Presley '60). Ray had a good role in the Irving Berlin musical film There's No Business Like Show Business '54; his delivery of 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' was the best part of a long, bizarre production number based on the one song, but his acting was terrible. Of 25 top 30 hits '51-7 the other top tens were 'Just Walking In The Rain' and 'You Don't Owe Me A Thing' '56-7. His only chart LP was The Big Beat '57. Of many hits in UK his last was 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again', a top 30 '58. |