Ray Keith Irwin, known professionally as Ray Gelato, was born on October 25, 1961, in London, and is a British jazz, swing, and jump blues saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. Inspired by his father's record collection, which included music from the 1940s swing bands and 1950s R&B and rock 'n' roll, Gelato began playing the tenor saxophone at age 19. He started performing semi-professionally the following year and gained his stage name around 1982 when he formed a band with French guitarist Patrice Serapiglia called the Chevalier Brothers. The group achieved success in Europe and Japan before disbanding in 1988. Gelato then played in the film Scandal (1989) and formed Ray Gelato and the Giants of Jive, who performed at Carnegie Hall in 1992. Notable performances include playing for Queen Elizabeth II and Paul McCartney’s wedding in 2002.
