Gene Watson's Peers: Ray Price
Gene Watson's peers within the country music industry
believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much
so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' - and
rightly so!
All of Gene's Peers who were contacted in 2011 were most gracious with their
time & words. It is here, within this special part of gene-watson.com, that
you have an opportunity to read a quote from
Ray Price, which he
submitted to this site on Wednesday 18 May 2011.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to
Ray Price
who made a special contribution to this unique part of this online
'celebration of a Lone Star Hero'.
Ray Price
This quote was submitted on Wednesday 18 May 2011
'I really like him. He's a fine singer.
I believe, if he is given the right opportunity & can get over the hurdle of
today's music, he should be able to maintain a great career.
I like him as a person & only wish him the best'
Thank you, Ray Price, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Ray Price...
Ray Price
was born Ray Noble Price on Tuesday 12 January 1926 in Perryville, Texas;
his wide-ranging baritone has often been praised
as one of the best male voices within the country music genre.
Ray Price spent most of his youth in Dallas; it was there where he learned
how to play guitar & sing. Following his high school graduation, he
studied veterinary medicine at North Texas Agricultural College in Abilene
before he left school to join the Marines in 1942.
Ray stayed in the service throughout the Second World War, returning to
Texas in 1946. After leaving the Marines, he initially returned to
college, yet he began to perform at local clubs & honky tonks, as well as
appearances on local radio station KRBC, where he was dubbed 'The Cherokee
Cowboy'.
Three years later, in 1949, Ray Price was invited to join the Dallas-based
Big D Jamboree, which convinced him to make music his full-time career.
It was shortly after joining Big D Jamboree that the show began to be
televised by CBS, which helped Ray release a single, 'Your wedding
corsage'/'Jealous lies', on the independent Dallas label Bullet Records.
In 1951, Ray Price moved to Nashville in order to pursue a major-label
record contract. After auditioning & failing several times, Ray
finally signed to Columbia Records, after A&R representative Troy Martin
convinced the label's chief executive, Don Law, that Decca was prepared to
give the singer a contract.
Previously, Don Law was uninterested in Ray Price - he turned him down
twenty times & threatened Troy Martin never to mention his name again - but
he was unprepared to give a rival company a chance at the vocalist.
Prior to 'Talk to your heart' becoming a No.3 hit for Ray Price in the
spring of 1952, he met his idol, Hank Williams
(Monday 17 September 1923 - Thursday 1 January 1953),
who immediately became a close friend.
'Talk to your heart' was subsequently included on 'Talk To Your Heart'
(Columbia Records, 1958), Ray Price's second album for the label, which was
released in April 1958.
Ray Price's debut album for Columbia Records was 'Ray Price Sings Heart Songs' (Columbia Records, 1957),
which was released in July 1957.
Over the next year, Hank Williams performed a number of favours for Ray,
including giving him 'Weary blues' to record & helping him join the Grand
Ole Opry in Nashville. Ray also became the permanent substitute for
Hank whenever he was missing or too drunk to perform. Following Hank
Williams' death in the early hours of Thursday 1 January 1953, Ray Price
inherited The Drifting Cowboys.
Following the success of 'Don't let the stars get in your eyes', which
reached No.4 on the Billboard country chart in the fall of 1952, Ray was
quiet for much of 1953.
It wasn't until 1954 that Ray Price returned to the Billboard country
charts. He enjoyed a hit with a double-sided record; 'I'll be there
(if you ever want me)' reached No.2, while 'Release me' reached No.6.
Instead of capitalising on that success, Ray Price disappeared from the
country charts during 1955, as he spent the year forming The Cherokee
Cowboys. Over the previous two years, he had realised that performing
with The Drifting Cowboys had made him sound too similar to Hank Williams,
so he decided to form his own group.
Originally, most of the members were lifted from Lefty Frizzell's Western
Cherokees, but over the years that followed a number of gifted musicians
began their careers in this band, including Johnny Paycheck, Roger Miller
(Thursday 2 January 1936 - Sunday 25 October 1992),
Buddy Emmons, Johnny Bush,
Darrell McCall & Willie Nelson.
Ray Price made a triumphant return to the Billboard country charts in 1955,
first with 'Run Boy', which reached No.5.
Ray Price's musical experimentation culminated in the 4/4 bass-driven 'Crazy
arms', which was written by Chuck Seals & famed Texas steel guitarist Ralph
Mooney; the track, which was the first of Ray Price's patented four/four
shuffles, was recorded on Thursday 1 March 1956.
The intensely rhythmic sound Ray discovered with 'Crazy arms' dominated his
style of country music for the next six years, up until 1962; people in
Nashville refer to a 4/4 country shuffle as the 'Ray Price beat'.
'Crazy arms' went on to become a country music standard & spent forty-five
weeks on the Billboard country chart, twenty of those at No.1, in 1956.
'Crazy arms' was one of the first
country records to be recorded with a drum kit, which gave it a relentless,
pulsating rhythm. Until Ray Price, most country music artists were reluctant to use
drums & the instrument was banned at one time from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.
The astonishing status of 'Crazy arms' helped change that situation; the
single not only crossed over into the lower reaches of the pop charts, but it
also established Ray Price as a star.
After the success of 'Crazy arms', Ray Price remained at or near the top of the
Billboard country charts for the next ten years, racking up twenty-three Top Ten singles between 1956
& 1966.
'I've got a new heartache' reached No.2 in 1956, 'My shoes keep walking back
to you' reached No.1 in 1957, while 'Curtain in the window' reached No.3 in
1958.
Roger Miller (Thursday 2 January 1936 - Sunday 25 October 1992) wrote one of Ray
Price's classic songs during 1958 & also sang harmony on the track; 'Invitation to the
blues' reached No.3 on the Billboard country charts in 1958.
'City lights', which was written by
Bill Anderson when he was nineteen
years old while working in Commerce, Georgia at radio station WJJC-AM, was recorded by Ray
Price in 1958; the song was No.1 on the Billboard country charts
for thirteen weeks between October 1958 & January 1959.
As a result, Bill Anderson took full advantage of his big break, moving to Nashville
& landed a recording contract with Decca Records.
The track reached No.71 on
the pop charts in 1958 & was subsequently included on 'Ray
Price's
Greatest Hits' (Columbia Records, 1961).
In 1959, Ray enjoyed a No.7 hit on the Billboard country charts with 'That's
what it's like to be lonesome'.
It was also in 1959 that Ray Price recorded Harlan Howard's 'Heartaches by
the number', which reached No.2 on the Billboard country charts, while
'The same old me' stayed at No.1 for two weeks
in 1959.
In 1960, Ray Price recorded Mel Tillis' 'Heart
over mind'; the track reached No.5 on the Billboard country charts.
George Jones
recorded Ray Price's 'I'll be there (if you ever want me)' (co-written with
Rusty Gabbard) & included the track on 'George Jones Sings Country & Western
Hits' (Mercury Records, 1962)
In 1963, Ray Price recorded Willie
Nelson's 'Nightlife'; the track reached No. 28 on the Billboard country
charts.
Connie Smith recorded Ray Price's
'I'll be there (if you ever want me)' (co-written with Rusty Gabbard) & included the track on 'Connie
Smith' (RCA Records, 1965)
George Jones with Gene Pitney & Melba
Montgomery recorded Ray Price's 'I've got a new heartache' (co-written with
Wayne P. Walker) & included the track on 'Famous Country Duets' (Muxicor
Records, 1965)
Ray Price achieved a number of Top 10 hits on the Billboard country charts
in the 1960s including 'Soft rain' (No.3, 1961), 'Pride' (No.5, 1962), 'Make
the world go away' (No.2, 1963), 'Burning memories' (No.2, 1964), 'The other
woman (in my life)' (No.2, 1965), 'A way to
survive' (No.7, 1966), 'Touch my heart' (No.3, 1966), 'Danny
boy' (No.9, 1966), 'I'm still not over you' (No.6, 1967), 'Take
me as I am (or let me go)' (No.8, 1967) & 'She wears my ring' (No.6,
1968).
'For the good times' is a song from 1970 which was written by Kris Kristofferson
& which was originally included on his self-titled debut album 'Kristofferson' (Monument
Records, 1970).
On Monday 16 March 1970, Ray Price recorded a version of 'For the good
times' which topped the Billboard country charts & was awarded 'Song of the
Year' by the Academy of Country Music (ACM); the track was included on 'For
The Good Times' (Columbia Records, 1970).
'For the good times' coupled with 'Grazin' in greener pastures' was No.1 for
one week on the Billboard country charts in September 1970 (Saturday 19 -
Saturday 26
September 1970) & spent a total of nineteen weeks on the country chart; the track also reached No.11 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop
chart, becoming Ray Price's only release to hit the Top 40 of the Billboard
Hot 100 pop charts.
Ray Price's 'For The Good Times' (Columbia Records, 1970) was awarded 'Album
of the Year' by the Academy of Country Music (ACM).
'I won't mention it Again' is a 1971 single from Ray Price; the track was
No.1 for three weeks on the Billboard country charts in May/June 1971 &
spent a total of seventeen weeks on the country charts; the track was
included on 'I Won't Mention It Again' (Columbia Records, 1971).
Ray Price's 'I Won't Mention It Again' (Columbia Records, 1971) was awarded
'Album of the Year' by the Country Music Association (CMA).
Ray Price's
'She's got to be a saint' was No.1 for three weeks on the Billboard country charts in December 1972/January 1973;
the track was included on 'She's Got To Be A Saint' (Columbia Records,
1973).
Ray Price's 'You're the best thing that ever happened to me' was No.1 for
one week on the Billboard country charts in October 1973; the track was
included on 'You're The Best Thing' (Columbia Records, 1974).
By the mid-1970s, the appeal of Ray Price's string-laden country-pop hits had
diminished & he spent the rest of the decade struggling to get into the
country charts.
In 1974, Ray left his long-time home of Columbia Records & signed to
Myrrh Records, where he enjoyed two Top 10 hits over the next year.
By the end of 1975,
Ray had left Myrrh Records, signing to ABC/Dot Records. Although he hadn't changed his
style, his records became less popular around the same time he signed to
ABC/Dot Records.
Only 'Mansion on the hill', which was released in 1977's, gained much attention;
the track was included on 'Hank 'n' Me' (ABC/Dot Records, 1976).
In 1978,
Ray switched record labels again, signing with Monument Records, which proved to be another
unsuccessful venture.
Ray enjoyed hits with 'There's always me' (No. 30, 1978), 'Feet' (No. 19,
1979), 'Misty morning rain' (No. 43, 1979) & 'That's the only way to say
good morning' (No. 18, 1980).
In 1980, Ray Price reunited with his old bassist Willie
Nelson & recorded the duet album 'San Antonio Rose' (Columbia Records, 1980), which was a major
success, spawning the No.3 hit 'Faded love'.
'San Antonio Rose' (Columbia Records, 1980) also included
Hank Cochran's 'Don't you ever get tired of hurting me';
when released as a single, it reached No.11 on the Billboard country charts in
1980.
In 1981, Ray Price enjoyed two Top 10 singles, 'It don't
hurt me half as bad' & 'Diamonds in the stars', for his new label,
Dimension Records.
Ray Price's 'Town & Country' (Dimension Records, 1981) included
'Circle driveway', 'It don't hurt me half as bad' & 'Getting
over you again'.
Gene Watson recorded 'It don't hurt me half
as bad' & included the track on 'Beautiful
Country' (Capitol Records, 1977)
Gene Watson recorded
'Circle driveway'
& included the track on 'Should
I Come Home' (Capitol Records,
1979)
Gene Watson recorded 'Getting over you
again' & included the track on 'The Good Ole
Days' (Step One Records, 1996)
Ray Price left Dimension Records in 1983 & signed with Warner Bros. Records
where he remained for one year & recorded the album 'Master of the Art'
(Warner Bros. Records, 1982).
In December 1982, Dimension Records released the Ray Price album 'Somewhere
in Texas' (Dimension Records, 1982), which included the track 'You're just another beer drinkin'
song'.
Gene Watson recorded 'You're
just another beer drinkin' song' & included the track on 'Sometimes
I Get Lucky' (MCA Records, 1983)
In 1983, Ray Price signed with Viva Records, where he stayed until 1984.
In 1985, Ray Price then singed with Step
One Records, an independent record label created by Ray Pennington & Curtis
Potter, where he remained until 1989.
Ray recorded a number of albums for Step One Records including 'Portrait of
a Singer' (Step One Records, 1985), 'Welcome to Ray Price Country' (Step One
Records, 1986), 'A Revival of Old Time Singing' (Step One Records, 1986),
'Heart of Country Music' (Step One Records, 1986), 'A Christmas Gift For
You' (Step One Records, 1987), 'Just Enough Love' (Step One Records, 1987) &
'By Request' (Step One Records, 1989).
Ray Price's 'Just Enough Love' (Step One Records, 1987)
included the track 'Old loves never die' &
included the track on 'Just Enough Love' (Step One Records, 1987).
Gene Watson recorded 'Old loves never die' & included the track on 'Old
Loves Never Die' (MCA Records, 1981)
Ray Price also recorded 'Memories That Last' (Step One Records, 1991), a
duet album with Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 - Tuesday 10 December
1996).
In the late 1990s, Ray Price stopped concentrating on recording &
turned his attention to a theatre he owned in Branson, Missouri. For most of the
1990s, Ray sang & performed at his theatre in Branson & occasionally recorded.
Of all of his 1990s records, the most notable is the 1992 album
'Sometimes a Rose' (Sony Records, 1992), which was produced by Norro Wilson.
On Saturday 3 August 1996, Ray Price was
inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
Ray Price collaborated with Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard on the album
project 'Last of The Breed' (Lost Highway Records, 2007). The album
was a two-disc set & was released on Tuesday 20 March 2007. The album
debuted at No.64 on the Billboard Top 200, selling about 13,000 copies in
its first week of release. The album was No.33 on Rolling Stone's list
of the 'Top 50 Albums of 2007'.
'Last of The Breed' (Lost Highway Records, 2007) reached No.7 on the
Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2007.
Visit Ray Price's Official Fan Club Site
Visit Ray Price's Country Music Hall of Fame Profile
