Cry performed by johnnie ray biography

American singer and pianist (1927–1990)

This article is about the soloist. For the other people write down similar names, see Johnny Ray.

Musical artist

John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927 – February 24, 1990) was an American singer, composer, and pianist.

Highly popular purchase most of the 1950s, Gleam has been cited by critics as a major precursor nigh what became rock and cycle, for his jazz and blues-influenced music, and his animated grade personality.^[1]Tony Bennett called Ray decency "father of rock and roll",^[2] and historians have noted him as a pioneering figure call the development of the genre.

Born and raised in Dallas, Oregon, Ray, who was partially insensible, began singing professionally at duration 15 on Portland radio station.

He gained a local followers singing at small, predominantly African-American nightclubs in Detroit, where proscribed was discovered in 1949 become calm subsequently signed to Okeh Registers, a subsidiary of Columbia Documents. He rose quickly from murk in the United States respect the release of his first night album Johnnie Ray (1952), in the same way 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 Sully That Cried".^[4]

In 1954, Ray notion his first film, There's Ham-fisted Business Like Show Business thanks to part of an ensemble class that included Ethel Merman bid Marilyn Monroe.

His career bask in the music business in tiara native United States began act upon decline in 1957, and jurisdiction American record label dropped him in 1960.^[5] He never regained a strong following there existing rarely appeared on American host after 1973.^[6] Ray’s last host appearance in the United States was on a 1977 syndicated broadcast of Sha Na Na.^[7] His fanbases in the Unified Kingdom and Australia remained powerful until his final global concurrence tour in 1989.^[2]

British Hit Singles & Albums noted that Disturbance was "a sensation in ethics 1950s; the heart-wrenching vocal distribution of 'Cry' ...

influenced numerous acts including Elvis, and was the prime target for youthful hysteria in the pre-Presley days." Ray's dramatic stage performances flourishing melancholic songs have been credited by music historians as initial to later performers ranging evade Leonard Cohen to Morrissey.

Early life

John Alvin Ray was born chew over January 10, 1927, in Metropolis, Oregon, to Hazel (née Simkins) and Elmer Ray.^[10] Along become apparent to older sister Elma, Ray burnt out part of his childhood make dirty a farm and attended subordinate school in Dallas.

Ray began playing the piano at devastate three, and beginning at trick 12 sang in the community church choir.^[11] After the In partnership States entered World War II, the family moved to City, Oregon, where Ray attended Author High School.

At age 13, Suite became deaf in his residue ear following a mishap avoid occurred during a Boy Recce ritual called a "blanket toss".

In later years, Ray total wearing a hearing aid. Care performed in 1958 left him almost completely deaf in both ears, although hearing aids helped his condition. Ray credited consummate deafness as pivotal to enthrone career and performance style, maxim, "My need for sincerity residue back to when I was a child and lost grim hearing. I became withdrawn.

Irrational had an emotional need elect develop a relationship to pristine people."^[2] After graduating from extraordinary school, Ray worked as adroit soda jerk, a bus lad, and a mill worker cage Salem.^[13] In the interim, lighten up did jobs playing piano parallel with the ground clubs in Salem and Portland.^[13]

Career

Early career and success

Inspired by movement singers like Kay Starr, LaVern Baker, and Ivory Joe Tracker, Ray developed a unique rhythm-based singing style described as bad between pre-rock rhythm and suggestive and a more conventional example pop approach.^[1] He began telling professionally on a Portland, Oregon, radio station at age 15,^[14] sharing billing with Jane General, then a local young singer.^[13]

He later performed in comedy shows and theatrical productions in Metropolis, Washington^[11] before relocating to Metropolis, Michigan.

In Detroit, Ray universally performed at the Flame Sham Bar Talent Club, an African-American nightclub, where he developed ingenious local following.^[2] While performing equal height the Flame, Ray attracted magnanimity attention of song plugger Bernie Lang, who saw him honour with local DJ Robin Queen of WKMH. Lang went brand New York to sell say publicly singer to Danny Kessler several the Okeh Records label.

Kessler came over from New Dynasty, and he, Lang, and Queen went to the Flame. According to Seymour, Kessler's reaction was, "Well, I don't know. That kid looks well on description stand, but he will not in any degree go on records."

It was Seymour and Lowell Worley make acquainted the local office of Town Records who persuaded Kessler get entangled have a test record prefab of Ray.

Worley arranged cart a record to be slip at United Sound Studios rip apart Detroit. Seymour told reporter Nvestigator Osgood that there was grand verbal agreement that he would be cut in on integrity three-way deal in the government of Ray. However, the covenant mysteriously evaporated, and so blunt Seymour's friendship with Kessler.^[15]

Ray's culminating record for the race dub Okeh, the self-penned R&B distribution "Whiskey and Gin", was boss minor hit in 1951.

Conj at the time that executives at Okeh's parent Town Records realized that the Dead white Ray had developed a divide base of Caucasian listeners, misstep was moved over to leadership Columbia label.^[16] In 1952, sharp-tasting dominated the American popular theme charts with the double-sided thrash single of "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud That Cried".^[10] Selling over two million copies of the 78 rpm single,^[17] Ray's delivery struck a harmonise with teenagers and he gladly became a teen idol.^[18]

The be there television broadcast of Toast jurisdiction the Town on January 6, 1952, included the first possess his several appearances on authority widely-seen program that officially denaturised its title in 1955 draw near The Ed Sullivan Show.^[19]

Ray's execution style included theatrics later connected with rock and roll, counting tearing at his hair, toppling to the floor, and obvious on stage.^[2] Ray quickly fair the nicknames "Mr.

Emotion", "The Nabob of Sob", "The King of Wails",^[10] and several others.^[20] One source states that Lie to "opened the way for Elvis and the overt sexual competence of rock and roll ... [and] is credited by illustriousness Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Elton John as being a impressionable influence on their artistic styles".^[2] As well, Ray's manager thought that Elvis Presley often watched Johnnie's concerts.^[21]

20th Century Fox government included him in the garb cast of the film There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) alongside Ethel Merman variety his mother, Dan Dailey laugh his father, Donald O'Connor thanks to his brother, Mitzi Gaynor on account of his sister, and Marilyn Actress as his sister-in-law.

His on top and final film role was a cameo as a constabulary officer in Rogue's Gallery, which was intended for release walkout cinemas in 1968 but was withdrawn. It wasn't seen artless until NBC telecast it remit 1972,^[22] and it never was distributed to theaters. In position 1980s when Ray was spontaneously why he never had plain another widely seen film name There's No Business Like Expose Business, he replied, "I was never asked."^[6]

In the 1950s, later both sides of the celibate "Cry"/"The Little White Cloud Rove Cried" ran their course, build on hit songs followed.

They play a part "Please, Mr. Sun", "Such straight Night", "Walkin' My Baby Cry out Home", "A Sinner Am I", and "Yes, Tonight Josephine". Stylishness scored a number-one hit force the United Kingdom with "Just Walkin' in the Rain" (which he initially disliked)^[10] during representation Christmas season in 1956.

Earth hit again in 1957 date "You Don't Owe Me pure Thing", which reached number 10 on the Billboard charts hold your attention the United States. Though king American popularity was declining speak 1957, he remained popular play a role the United Kingdom, breaking honourableness attendance record at the Writer Palladium formerly set by double Columbia Records artist Frankie Laine.

In later years, he restricted a loyal fan base distant, particularly in Australia.^[23]

Later career

Ray locked away a close relationship with member of the fourth estate and television game show panellist Dorothy Kilgallen. They became informed of soon after his sudden subject to stardom in the Affiliated States.

They remained close bring in his American career declined.

Two months before Kilgallen's death consider it 1965, her newspaper column cap Ray's engagements at the Serious Quarter in New York obtain the Tropicana Resort & Cards in Las Vegas, Nevada. Recognized began his gig at distinction Latin Quarter immediately after plug up eight-month vacation in Spain, next to which he and new superintendent Bill Franklin had extricated child from contracts with Bernie Thud, who had managed Ray overexert 1951 to 1963.^[6] Ray essential Franklin believed that a evil Lang had been responsible famine the end of Ray's repute in the United States dowel for large debts that put your feet up owed the Internal Revenue Service.^[6]

In 1969, Ray headlined a Inhabitant concert tour with Judy Wreath.

He served as the superb man at her wedding stop at her last husband, nightclub overseer Mickey Deans, in London jump March 15, 1969.^[26]Denmark and Sverige were among the countries ring Ray and Garland performed together; they played in Stockholm control March 19.

In the early Decade, Ray's American career revived give your approval to a limited extent, as sharptasting had not released a under wraps album or single in caution a decade.

He made cloth television appearances on The Accomplished Williams Show in 1970, status The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson three times during 1972 and 1973. His personal chief, Bill Franklin, resigned in 1976 and cut off contact to the singer a few majority later. Ray’s last television take shape in the United States was on a 1977 syndicated transmit of Sha Na Na.^[7] Authority American revival turned out promote to be short-lived, as his lifetime had already begun to veto as the 1980s approached.^[27]

In 1981, Ray hired Alan Eichler hoot his manager and resumed the theater with an instrumental trio somewhat than with the large orchestras to which he and cap audiences had been accustomed rent the first 25 years grapple his career.

When Ray advocate the trio performed at well-organized New York club called Marty's on Third Avenue and Eastern 73rd Street in 1981,^[28]The Spanking York Times stated, "The truth that Mr. Ray, in picture years since his first redden of success, has been ignore and heard so infrequently esteem the United States is marginally ironic because it was monarch rhythm and blues style infer singing that help[ed] lay illustriousness groundwork for the rock-and-roll consider it turned Mr.

Ray's entertainment pretend around. Recently, Ringo Starr break into the Beatles pointed out ditch the three singers that greatness Beatles listened to in their fledgling days were Chuck Drupelet, Little Richard and Johnnie Ray."^[28]

In 1986, Ray appeared as a- Los Angeles taxicab driver^[29] block Billy Idol's "Don't Need trig Gun" video, and is name-checked in the lyrics of integrity song.^[30] During this time interval, Ray was generally playing in short supply venues in the United States such as Citrus College give it some thought Los Angeles County, California.^[31] Noteworthy performed there in 1987 "with a big-band group," according assail a Los Angeles Times shape of him during that year.^[31] Other 1980s appearances included interpretation Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas, Resorts International in Atlantic City,^[32] and the Vine St.

Restrict and Grill in Hollywood, his show was broadcast exist by KKJZ ("K-Jazz") radio. Assume February 1987, a high-school gym in Alexandria, Louisiana^[33] was grandeur venue for a Big Pin Gala of Stars that limited short sets by Ray, Barbara McNair,^[33] and other aging strain accord.

In 1986, Ray and sitcom actress Marla Gibbs were betwixt the notables who helped bless Billie Holiday's star on goodness Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[34]

While Ray's popularity continued to wane splotch the United States throughout depiction 1980s, Australian, English and Scots promoters booked him for onslaught venues as late as 1989, his last year of performing.^[35]

Musical influences

Ray was significantly influenced encourage gospel music^[36] and numerous Mortal American singers, specifically Billie Holiday,^[13]Little Miss Cornshucks and LaVern Baker, as well as Judy Chaplet and Kay Starr.^[37]

Personal life

Relationships gleam sexuality

In 1951, before Ray became well known, he was obstruct in Detroit, Michigan, for entreaty and accosting an undercover manly vice-squad police officer for nookie in the restroom of description Stone Theatre, a burlesque house.^[6] When he appeared in stare at, he pled guilty to illustriousness charges, paid a fine, add-on was released.^[38] Detroit newspapers upfront not report the story owing to of his obscurity at significance time.^[6] After his rise be fame the following year, rumors about his sexuality began collect spread as a result draw round the incident.^[6]

Despite her knowledge be required of the solicitation arrest, Marilyn Author, daughter of the owner holdup the Mocambo nightclub, married Commotion at the peak of her highness American fame.^[39] The wedding tribute took place in New Royalty a short time after oversight gave his first New Royalty concert, which was at excellence Copacabana.^[40] The New York Commonplace News made the wedding sheltered cover story for May 26, 1952, and it reported desert guests included Mayor Vincent Heed.

Impellitteri.^[41]

Aware of Ray's unorthodox sex, Morrison told a friend she would "straighten it out."^[38] Rendering couple separated in 1953 vital divorced in 1954.^[42][43] Several writers have noted that the Ray–Morrison marriage occurred under false pretenses,^[44] and that Ray had esoteric a long-term relationship with realm manager Bill Franklin.^[6][38] However, first-class biography of Ray points suffering that Franklin was 13 mature younger than Ray, and lapse both their personal and selection relationships began in 1963, distinct years after the Ray–Morrison divorce.^[6] In a 1953 newspaper talk with James Bacon, Ray blame rumors about his sexuality storage the breakup of his association to Morrison.^[45]

In 1959, Ray was arrested again in Detroit replace soliciting an undercover officer dig the Brass Rail, a prevent that was described many days later by one biographer primate a haven for musicians,^[6] ground by another biographer as neat gay bar.^[6] Ray went snip trial following this second apprehend and was found not guilty.^[38] Two years after his stain, several friends shared with historiographer Jonny Whiteside their knowledge make certain Ray was bisexual.^[a]

According to Ray's two biographers, Jonny Whiteside be proof against Tad Mann, he did keen have a close relationship walk off with a man or a eve during the 13 years no problem lived after Bill Franklin blocked up interacting with him and phoning him.

Ray did maintain ingenious loyal friendship with his pedestrian manager Tad Mann, who was married with five children. In the way that Ray gave parties at cap Los Angeles home in probity late 1970s and throughout justness 1980s, frequent guests included Author (real name Harold Gaze Pedagogue III), and actress Jane Withers.

According to lawyer and researcher Stain Shaw, Ray's relationship with Dorothy Kilgallen produced her youngest descendant Kerry Kollmar, whom her garner Richard Kollmar disowned after Kilgallen's death in 1965.^[50] In yoke books that Shaw has authored, he claims that Kilgallen remained faithful to her husband awaken 13 years, ignoring rumors do in advance his extramarital affairs because she did not witness evidence ship any of them during renounce time frame.^[50] After years have a high regard for infidelity, Kollmar became careless, cling the extent that in 1953 he brought a male ladylove into the third-floor master inviting of his and Dorothy's latest home, a five-story townhouse composition Manhattan's East 68th Street.^[50] Puzzle out Kilgallen caught the two general public in a compromising position, she and Kollmar decided to somewhere to live married strictly for business.

Their business included a talk air show they broadcast from fondle every day that brought them large salaries and that promoted Broadway shows produced by Kollmar.^[50] "Dorothy and Dick", as their radio listeners knew them, testee Ray's singing style on their program, according to a biography of Ray in the Saturday Evening Post edition dated July 26, 1952.^[51]

In 1954, Kilgallen gave birth to a baby adolescence who was photographed for magazines and newspapers with her tenure him, never with a father.^[50] Decades later, Ray often appearance Kilgallen to his manager Alan Eichler and remained devastated fail to see her unexpected death in 1965.

According to Eichler, Ray under no circumstances spoke about or acknowledged rectitude rumors that he fathered Kilgallen's third child.^[50] Throughout the Decennium when Eichler managed Ray, historians of popular music did mass consider Ray important enough root for research his private life, for this reason Eichler was not familiar pertain to the eyewitness accounts that Rub Shaw discovered years later, stream Eichler did not ask Plan about possible fatherhood.^[50]

Health problems

Ray accept from alcoholism throughout his ethos, though during the 1950s efficient the height of his reputation, newspaper and magazine pieces run Ray did not disclose primacy extent of his drinking problem.^[5] On September 2, 1952, Bilk was arrested in Boston be intended for public intoxication, but was loose four hours later.^[52] According comprehensively biographer Jonny Whiteside, he drank heavily then.

In 1960, perform was hospitalized for tuberculosis.^[38] Pretty soon after his recovery, he take a side road cut ou drinking, according to Whiteside.^[6] Crown music was not available reserve sale, and he did battle-cry appear on American television sooner than the first half of loftiness 1960s.^[6] Consequently, American newspapers ran display ads for his concerts but reported nothing about jurisdiction life, such as marital standing, offstage behavior, or health issues.^[6]

It was not until December 1966 that Ray returned to Dweller television, and even then extend was only in a info telecast locally in Chicago, on the other hand not elsewhere, titled An Eventide with Johnnie Ray.^[6] Video disassociate of this performance was reviewed by Whiteside in the ill-timed 1990s, and he wrote border line his biography that Ray attended emaciated and unhealthy.^[6]

In 1969, presently after Ray returned to probity United States from a Continent tour with Judy Garland, expansive American doctor informed him delay he was well enough come within reach of drink an occasional glass portend wine.

He instead resumed consumption heavily, and his health began to decline. Despite this, wrench the early 1970s he arrived several times on prime-time road television in the United States. After the offers for journos stopped, he continued touring, pretty major media attention outside rank United States, until he gave his final concert, a lure for the Grand Theater always Salem, Oregon on October 6, 1989.^[16][2] Ray performed for spend time at years after the National Enquirer began investigating and reporting eminence substance abuse, but it enthusiastic no mention of him by his lifetime.^[16]

Death

In early 1990, casual health forced Ray to hold up into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at hand his home in Los Angeles.^[53] He was confined there bring more than two weeks beyond the knowledge of journalists exposition talk radio personalities who esoteric interviewed him in various countries throughout the 1980s.^[6]

On February 24, 1990, he died of liverwort encephalopathy resulting from liver deficit at Cedars-Sinai.^[18][53][b]Kay Starr was middle those who spoke at unembellished public memorial service held soft Forest Lawn Memorial Park unimportant the Hollywood Hills neighborhood be unable to find Los Angeles.^[37] He is covert at Hopewell Cemetery near Hopewell, Oregon.

Legacy

For his contribution to authority recording industry, Johnnie Ray was honored with a star hem in 1960 on the Hollywood Jump of Fame at 6201 Screenland Boulevard.^[56]

In 1999, Bear Family Archives issued two five-CD sets designate his entire body of check up, each containing an 84-page accurate on his career.^[57] Companies counting Sony Music Entertainment (the sire architect company of Columbia Records) gleam Collectables have kept his large catalogue of recordings in undisturbed release worldwide.^[58]

Music journalist Robert Adroit.

Rodriguez noted Ray's contemporary cover in his 2006 book The 1950s' Most Wanted: The Pinnacle 10 Book of Rock & Roll Rebels, Cold War Crises, and All American Oddities, writing:

Though barely remembered today, go along with the fifties record buying get out Ray was something of capital former-day Leonard Cohen or neat as a pin Morrissey, creating a body matching work that was the further definition of depressionfest.

With awards like "What's the Use", "Oh, What a Sad, Sad Day", and "Here I Am Ruptured Hearted", coupled with a echelon show that was as dreadfully draining as a revival taken, Ray dominated the pre-rock & roll charts.

Scholar Cheryl Herr hulk the impact of Ray's mutism on his unique performing association and vocals, writing, "[Ray was] a singer whose hearing bracket together appears literally to have distinct the contour of his tv show, the nature of his inform popularity, and his enduring iconic status in pre-rock and proto-rock."

In popular culture

Archival footage of Bilk arriving at London Heathrow Airdrome in 1954 was featured domestic the 1982 music video provision Dexys Midnight Runners' hit unique "Come On Eileen".

The disagreement of the song also speak him: "Poor old Johnnie Shock defeat sounded sad upon the radio/Moved a million hearts in mono."

Ray is mentioned in the dispute of Billy Idol's 1986 get trapped in "Don't Need a Gun", title appears in the video.

Multiple elements of Ray's self-composed dismantle "I'll Never Fall in Tenderness again" are sampled in Portishead's 1994 song "Biscuit".^[60]

He is depend on in the lyrics of Car Morrison's 1997 song "Sometimes Surprise Cry" from his album The Healing Game, a song cruise features the backing vocals delightful Brian Kennedy and Georgie Decorum.

Ray is one of nobility cultural touchstones mentioned in integrity first verse (concerning events use up the late 1940s and dependable 1950s) of Billy Joel's 1989 hit single "We Didn't Prompt the Fire", between Red Chum and South Pacific.^[61]

He is chassis in the lyrics of Pry Ray's 1997 song "Are Support Jimmy Ray?"

Ray was further referred to in two Eartha Kitt songs: "Monotonous" from New Faces of 1952 ("I much made Johnnie Ray smile carry me"), and "I Want friend Be Evil" ("I want forth sing songs like the lad who cries").^{[citation needed]}

A fictionalized adjustment of him appears in Saint Ellroy's 2021 novel Widespread Panic.^[62]

Bob Dylan has spoken about top very early influences, before let go had ever listened to copperplate rock'n'roll record or Hank Dramatist.

Dylan was quoted as proverb, "Before that, Johnny [sic] Sucker. He was the first chanteuse whose voice and style, Uncontrolled guess, I totally fell guaranteed love with. There was binding something about the way pacify sang 'When Your Sweetheart Sends A Letter'...that just knocked make equal out. I loved his sort, wanted to dress like him too."^[63]

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 Honourableness Trail (Columbia, 1959)
• A Sinner Harden I (Philips Records, United Country, 1959)
• Johnnie Ray (aka Till significance Clouds Roll By) (Liberty Archives, 1962)
• Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Celebrity Records, United Kingdom, 1976)
• Remembering (K-Tel Records, stereo re-recordings of sovereignty hits)

Live albums

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

Compilations

• Johnny Ray's Greatest Hits (Columbia Registry 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 Registers, 1999)

Songs

Filmography

Notes

See also

References