Johnnie Ray

Although he was partially deaf, singer, songwriter, pianist Johnnie Ray became one of the most popular artists of the early 1950s and helped paved the way for what was to become rock and roll. Born in Dallas, Oregon on January 10, 1927, Johnnie Ray was heavily influenced by jazz artists and rhythm and blues artists as he grew up, By the time he was 15, he was performing in clubs in Portland, Oregon. His unique style – which blended the sweaty side of rhythm & blues and the bluesy swing of big band jazz – caught the attention of labels including Columbia Records. From the very beginning, Johnnie Ray defied all odds. A singer wearing a tuxedo and hearing aids and crying while singing his hits didn’t look good on paper, but Johnnie Ray made it work in real life. His first number 1 singe was 1951’s “Cry” which was followed over the next year by four more Top 10 hits – “The Little White Cloud That Cried,” “Please, Mr. Sun,” “Here Am I-Broken Hearted,” and “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” – and numerous Top 20 and Top 30 hits. His emotive, lively performances captured the hearts of teenage girls and even their parents, making each live performance an emotional experience for everyone in the room and watching on television. At the height of his career, reports circulated that Johnnie Ray was homosexual, which led to a dip in popularity. In 1955, a young singer by the name of Elvis Presley - who had been heavily influenced by Johnnie Ray, - became a worldwide sensation and derailed Johnnie Ray’s career. While his popularity dwindled in the US, he began to land a series of Top 10 singles in the UK. He turned his attention to Europe as his popularity faded in the US and was able to continue singing and performing, although he stopped releasing albums in the early 1960s. After dealing with career ups and downs in the 1960s and early 1970s, Johnny Ray connected with his audience again thanks to variety and talk shows on television. Johnnie Ray had paved the way for rock and roll, but by the 1980s, he was virtually forgotten by the masses. However, Dexys Midnight Runners mentioned Johnnie Ray in the first line of the worldwide hit single “Come on Eileen” while Billy Idol featured him in the lyrics and video for “Don’t Need a Gun.” Johnnie Ray’s classic recordings were regularly reissued in a series of compilations and box sets. On February 24, 1990, Johnnie Ray died at the age of 63.