Ray Stevens
{{Short description|American country and pop musician (born 1939)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{About|the singer|other persons of the same name|Ray Stevens (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ray Stevens
| image = Ray Stevens.jpg
| caption = Stevens on The Johnny Cash Show, {{circa}} 1971
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Harold Ray Ragsdale
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=y|1939|1|24}}
| birth_place = Clarkdale, Georgia, U.S.
| instruments = {{flatlist|
- Vocals
- keyboards
- trumpet}}
| genre = {{flatlist|
| occupations = {{flatlist|
- Singer-songwriter
- arranger
- comedian}}
| years_active = 1957–present
| label = {{flatlist|
| spouse = {{marriage|Penny Jackson|March 30, 1961|December 31, 2021|reason=died}}
}}
Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939),{{cite web| url=https://raystevens.com/about/| title=Ray Stevens just thinks funny| date=January 8, 2016| website=Ray Stevens| access-date = February 3, 2018}} known professionally as Ray Stevens, is an American country{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/arts/music/11singleton.html| title=Shelby Singleton, Nashville Producer, Dies at 77| newspaper=The New York Times| date=October 10, 2009| first=Bill| last=Friskics-Warren| access-date=October 10, 2022| url-access=subscription}} and pop singer-songwriter and comedian.{{cite news|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/ray-stevens-comes-streaking-back-with-immigration-song/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0|title=Ray Stevens Comes Streaking Back With Immigration Song|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 2, 2010 |access-date=August 20, 2014}}{{cite book |last=Roy |first=Don |editor-last=Kingsbury |editor-first=Paul |date=1998 |chapter=Ray Stevens |title=The Encyclopedia of Country Music |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofco00coun/page/507/mode/1up |chapter-url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0195116717 |page=507 |via=Internet Archive}} He is best known for his Grammy-winning recordings "Everything Is Beautiful" and "Misty", as well as novelty hits such as "Gitarzan" and "The Streak". Stevens has received gold albums for his music sales and has worked as a producer, music arranger, and television host. He is also an inductee of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Christian Music Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Early life
Harold Ray Ragsdale was born on January 24, 1939, in Clarkdale, Georgia. He is the elder of two sons born to Willis Harold Ragsdale (1915–2001) and Frances Stephens Ragsdale (1916–1997).{{cite web| title=Ray Stevens {{!}} Artist Bio| url=https://countrymusichalloffame.org/artist/ray-stevens/| access-date=2022-02-12| website=Country Music Hall of Fame| language=en-US}} His younger brother, John, who died in 2020 at the age of 75, became an actor and writer.{{cite web| title=Ray Stevens' Younger Brother Has 'Unexpectedly' Died At Age 75|first=Jennifer |last=Pernicano| url=https://classiccountrymusic.com/ray-stevens-younger-brother-has-unexpectedly-died-at-age-75/| access-date=2022-02-12| website=Classic Country Music| date=2 April 2020| language=en-US}} While attending high school, Stevens formed his first band, a rhythm and blues group named The Barons. He began studying business administration at Georgia State College, but very quickly switched to become a music major. Stevens left after completing three of the four years required to obtain a degree, which he felt that he did not need.{{cite magazine |last=Hieronymus |first=Clara |date=December 1970 |title=Ray Stevens |magazine=BMI: The Many Worlds of Music |location=New York |publisher=Broadcast Music, Inc. |page=19}}{{cite book |last=Woodstra |first=Chris |title=All Music Guide to Country: The Experts' Guide to the Best Country Recordings |year=1997 |publisher=Backbeat Books |isbn=978-0-8793-0475-1 |author2=Erlewine, Steven Thomas |author3=Bogdanov, Vladamir |author4=Erlewine, Michael |page=448}}
Career
=Early career=
At the age of 18, Stevens signed to Capitol Records' Prep Records division in 1957, and produced the single "Silver Bracelet", with a cover of "Rang Tang Ding Dong" as the B-side. The single was met with a positive review from Billboard.{{cite magazine| title=Reviews and Ratings| page=52| magazine=Billboard| date=January 24, 1957}} The B-side was originally recorded by doo-wop group The Cellos in 1956.{{cite book| last=Warner| first=Jay| title=American Singing Groups: A History, From 1940 to Today| year=2006| publisher=Hal Leonard| isbn=978-0-352-33533-3| page=100}}
Stevens signed with Mercury Records in 1961.{{cite book| last=Wadhams| first=Wayne| title=Inside the Hits: The Seduction of a Rock and Roll Generation (Pop Culture)| year=2001| publisher=Berklee Press| pages=78–82| isbn=978-0-6340-1430-7}}
=1970s=
In the 1970s, Stevens became a producer and studio musician in Nashville. He recorded songs for Barnaby Records and Warner Bros. during 1970–1979. Stevens' biggest hit in the U.S. was his gospel-inflected single "Everything Is Beautiful" (1970). It won a Grammy Award, was the theme song for his summer 1970 TV show, a number-one hit on both the pop and adult contemporary charts, and marked his first time in the top 40 on the country charts, peaking at number 39. The single sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.{{cite book| first=Joseph| last=Murrells| year=1978| title=The Book of Golden Discs| edition=2nd| publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd| location=London| page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/286 286]| isbn=978-0-2142-0512-5| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/286}}
Stevens had a transatlantic chart-topping hit in 1974 with "The Streak", a novelty song about streaking that reached number one on the American and British singles charts.{{cite book |last1=Bronson |first1=Fred |title=The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits |date=2003 |publisher=Billboard Books |isbn=978-0-8230-7677-2 |page=365 |edition=updated and expanded 5th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&q=%22ray+stevens%22+%22the+streak%22&pg=PT374 |accessdate=2018-07-08}}{{cite book| first=David| last=Roberts| year=2006| title=British Hit Singles & Albums| edition=19th| publisher=Guinness World Records Limited| location=London| isbn=978-1-9049-9410-7| page=301}}
Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some exceptions (such as "Shriner's Convention" in 1981), Stevens focused mostly on serious material, as he felt that the novelty song was becoming less popular in the era.{{cite magazine| date=December 8, 1984| title=Stevens Nuts over 'Squirrel'| magazine=Billboard| pages=39, 42| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zSQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22mississippi+squirrel+revival%22&pg=RA1-PA39}} Stevens had an adult contemporary crossover hit in 1979 with "I Need Your Help Barry Manilow", a cut from Stevens's Barry Manilow tribute/parody album The Feeling's Not Right Again.{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1979-04-28| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105210838/http://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1979-04-28| url-status=dead| archive-date=November 5, 2016| title=Adult Contemporary Chart| magazine=Billboard}}
=1980s=
Stevens then joined MCA in 1984. Feeling that novelty songs were becoming popular again, he authorized the rush release of "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" in 1984, which reached the country top 20. In 1985, Stevens performed at the Lanierland Music Park in Georgia with Pinkard & Bowden.{{cite magazine| title=Box Score Top Grossing Concerts| magazine=Billboard| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4yQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT48| date=June 1, 1985| page=48| issn=0006-2510}}
=21st century=
In February 2002, following the September 11 attacks, Stevens released Osama—Yo' Mama: The Album after the title track, which was released as a single in late 2001, peaked at #48 on the Hot Country Songs chart in 2001. The album reached #29 on the US Top Country Albums chart.
In April 2010, Stevens released We the People, a CD/DVD of political songs. This album reached Top-5 on the Billboard Comedy Album chart.{{cite news| url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/ray-stevens/biography/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130223091419/http://www.cmt.com/artists/ray-stevens/biography| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 23, 2013| title=Ray Stevens Bio: Ray Stevens Career| website=CMT Artists| access-date=April 12, 2017| language=en}}{{cite web| url=http://shop.raystevens.com/we-the-people-cd| title=We The People CD| website=Ray Stevens| access-date=April 12, 2017}}
RAY-ality TV ended its digital TV run in January 2014. Two months later, a webisode series, also titled Rayality TV was launched. Later in 2014, Stevens co-starred in the movie Campin' Buddies.{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152378293854871&set=a.10150358709939871.369677.99557674870&type=1&theater |title=Ray Stevens – Timeline Photos |website=Facebook |access-date=August 20, 2014}}
Stevens published his autobiographical memoir Ray Stevens' Nashville in 2014.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LSOsoAEACAAJ| title=Ray Stevens' Nashville| first1=Ray| last1=Stevens| first2=C. W. Buddy| last2=Kalb| date=March 1, 2014| publisher=Harold R.Ragsdale A/K/A Ray Stevens| isbn=978-0-6159-9308-9| access-date=October 27, 2017| via=Google Books}}{{cite magazine| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ray-stevens-nashville-details-comic-performers-versatile-career-95889/| title=Ray Stevens' Nashville Details Comic Performer's Versatile Career: Comedic country legend writes memoir of good old days in Music City| author=Betts, Stephen L.| access-date=June 20, 2014| date=June 20, 2014| magazine=Rolling Stone}}
In 2015, Stevens began producing and hosting Ray Stevens Nashville, a 30-minute weekly music variety show on cable TV. Since then, the show has been rebranded as Ray Stevens CabaRay Nashville and is now filmed on stage at his own CabaRay Showroom, which opened to the public in early 2018.
Stevens released the album Here We Go Again on March 24, 2015, which includes the Taylor Swift spoof single "Taylor Swift is Stalking Me"Billboard, March 24, 2015 – [https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-615/6509612/ray-stevens-interview-taylor-swift-is-stalkin-me-video Ray Stevens Returns With 'Taylor Swift Is Stalkin' Me' – By Chuck Dauphin] and "Come to the USA".{{cite magazine| magazine=Billboard| date=March 24, 2015| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/957953/ray-stevens-has-youtube-hit-with-pro-arizona-song| title=Ray Stevens Has YouTube Hit With Pro-Arizona Song| first=Chuck| last=Dauphin| access-date=October 10, 2022}}
Personal life
Stevens was married to Penny Jackson Ragsdale for over 60 years, until her death on December 31, 2021, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Two days prior, he had canceled his New Year's Eve concert at CabaRay, due to Penny's rapidly declining health. They had two daughters, Suzi and Timi, and four grandchildren.{{cite web |last=Dukes |first=Billy |title=Ray Stevens' Wife Penny Has Died |url=https://tasteofcountry.com/ray-stevens-wife-penny-dead-dies/ |website=Taste of Country |date=January 2022 |access-date=January 1, 2022}}
Discography
{{main|Ray Stevens discography}}
Accolades
=Grammy awards=
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.raystevens.com/}}
- [https://raystevenscabaray.com/ Ray Stevens Cabaray Showroom Official Website]
- {{IMDb name|0828696}}
- [http://misterguitar.us/news/raystevens2a.html Tom Redmond – Working with Chet Atkins: An Interview with Ray Stevens]
- [http://mybestyears.com/InterviewSpotlights/STEVENSRay051007.html Ray Stevens – MyBestYears.COM INTERVIEW SPOTLIGHT] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305183347/http://mybestyears.com/InterviewSpotlights/STEVENSRay051007.html |date=2016-03-05 }}
- [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/ray-stevens Ray Stevens Interview] at NAMM Oral History Collection (2014)
{{Ray Stevens}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Ray Stevens
|list1 =
{{2010s Country Music Hall of Fame}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance}}
}}
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Category:20th-century American comedians
Category:20th-century American male musicians
Category:20th-century American pianists
Category:21st-century American male musicians
Category:21st-century American pianists
Category:American comedy musicians
Category:American country keyboardists
Category:American country pianists
Category:American country singer-songwriters
Category:American male pianists
Category:American male singer-songwriters
Category:American novelty song performers
Category:Comedians from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Country Music Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Country musicians from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Georgia State University alumni
Category:Mercury Records artists
Category:Monument Records artists
Category:National Recording Corporation artists
Category:People from Cobb County, Georgia