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ray price: crazy arms (jerry lee lewis: first sun si...

323,

02:43,

2008-04-17 15:10:59

Description: Ray Price Portrait of a Legend Stories About Ray The lights dim. The sixtyish-looking woman beside me, a complete stranger until fifteen minutes ago, clutches my arm in excitement. It's the (More) Ray Price Portrait of a Legend Stories About Ray The lights dim. The sixtyish-looking woman beside me, a complete stranger until fifteen minutes ago, clutches my arm in excitement. It's the first time she'll see Ray Price in person. This mature audience in Laughlin, Nevada, seems to appreciate the fact that the living legend on stage, now in his early seventies, is still youthfully handsome, his voice as powerful and melodious as ever. Near the end of the show, Ray introduces a song written, he tells us, by a "dear friend" who brought him as a young Texas kid to Nashville and got him on the Grand Ole Opry. "I lived with my friend for almost a year before he passed away." He pauses, his eyes seeming to wander back to that long-ago time. "So, if you-all don't mind, I'd like to sing you one of the late Hank Williams' songs." The crowd responds with a huge ovation as Ray begins Hank's "Mansion on the Hill." After the show I'm set to interview Ray Price. I want to learn more about that famed friendship. It's a dramatic story, I feel, one that will say much about how a true friend can ease your path, whether you're on the way up--or the way down. The year was 1951. Early autumn. There was a slight chill in the air outside on Nashville's streets. Inside Studio C at station WSM, the atmosphere was tense for the dark-haired young singer from Texas. He had just driven all the way to Nashville, probably breaking a few speed laws on the way. If there were stars in the newcomer's intense blue eyes, he had every reason to be thrilled and enormously impressed. Ray Price was about to meet Hank Williams, the reigning country music star of the day. Not only that, Ray was going to sing on his show. Ray had a few minor recordings and some local Texas performances behind him. Twenty-eight-year-old Hank Williams was already a national phenomenon. Songs he'd written were blasting from every radio and juke box across the country. But ole Hank didn't let that stand between them. Ray, recalling that first meeting, says. "It was one of those instant friendships. I liked him; he liked me. For some reason we hit it off right away." They went to Hank's home after the show and talked for hours about their hopes and dreams. Price, a 25-year-old former veterinary student, had a clear, vibrant voice that many felt might be wasted just talking to horses. He had recently signed with Columbia Records. "All you need," Hank told him, "is a hit record. And I'm going to write one for you." Quite an offer. At that time Hank's songs were being grabbed up by big-name pop singers like Tony Bennett, Jo Stafford and Rosemary Clooney. Tunes like "Cold, Cold Heart," and "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You" were hitting the tops of the charts in both country and pop markets. Hank followed up on his promise. The day after they met, he took Ray with him to a singing engagement in Evansville, Indiana. During the miles of rolling countryside between Nashville and Southern Indiana, creative ideas flew back and forth. Hank and Ray ended up writing "Weary Blues from Waiting" together. Said Ray, "We'd think up a line, each one of us, and then we'd do another. When we got there it was all written. I didn't put my name on it because I couldn't; I was with another company." Quite a team. Hank, who has been dubbed "The Hillbilly Shakespeare," could capture heartfelt emotion with ease in a few poetic word pictures. By the end of his brief life, he'd written 129 songs, many of them still favorites today. Ray, a fine songwriter too, had the more powerful impressive voice. But in mid-October 1951, it must have made sense for Ray to record "Weary Blues from Waiting" in Hank's highly popular plaintive style. Columbia released "Weary Blues" in November and gave it a big advertising/publicity splash because it was, after all, a Hank Williams song. But it didn't turn out to be the big hit hoped for, the hit that would have led to the Grand Ole Opry, the mecca of all country music performers. Hank didn't let that stop him. A few weeks later, he phoned Ray, who was performing back in Texas, and gave him the big news. If he could be in Nashville by the next day, he had a spot on the Grand Ole Opry. Another frantic trip. Ray burned rubber off four tires getting there. In January 1952, Ray moved to Nashville and soon became a regular on the Grand Ole Opry. A world of possibilities was opening up for him. But while Ray was moving upward in his climb to fame, Hank began to hurtle into free fall. He'd reached the pinnacle of his brief career, and his meteoric blaze in the sun would soon burn out. Separation that January from his wife, Audrey, started off the downhill plunge. Severe problems from a recent back operation added fuel to increase the periodic drinking that had long plagued him. Hank began to drink more and more to ease the the pain and heartache. His career suffered. Although he was still writing and selling songs, he began to miss perfomances or, worse yet, stagger on stage drunk. Ray was quick to defend Hank on that score. "He was not the type to go out in public drunk. When he drank, he drank a glassful at one time, and then another glassful, until he was totally wiped out. And he would stay in his room. The operators or the promoters would drag him out drunk." Ray was hired to accompany Hank on his singing engagements. "They used to send me along to sort of look out for him," Ray explained. "They knew Hank liked me, that he'd listen to me." But Hank's drinking put Ray in a tight spot more than a few times. In a scathing review, a newspaper reporter described one of these performances in Richmond, Virginia, on Jan. 29, 1952. It told how Ray Price had to come on stage and apologize for Hank, stall the crowd by singing Hank's songs, and then declare a half-hour intermission. When Hank finally appeared, he was so drunk that fans began to demand their money back. Ray tried to calm everyone down, calling out, "We all love you, Hank, don't we?" How did it feel filling in for Hank on these tours? Ray's response was fond and overly modest. "There was no way I could fill in for Hank; all I could do was kill time for him." With a reminiscent smile, he added, "He was the top dog." Ray was not about to let Hank down. After Hank and his wife separated and Hank needed a place to stay, Ray came to his rescue. The two moved into a two-story stone duplex in Nashville. Ray lived upstairs and Hank on the first floor. Ray did most of the housework and looked after Hank while he recuperated from the back operation he'd undergone a few weeks earlier. At that point, Hank was optimistic he could patch things up with Audrey and go back to his home and family. But taking care of Hank proved as much of a challenge as touring with him. His alcoholism had advanced to the point where he wouldn't eat while he was drinking. But if Ray could get him to start eating, he'd straighten out. If the food wouldn't stay down, however, he'd reach for the bottle right away and just sit in his room and keep on drinking. The last straw was when Hank lost hope that Audrey would reconcile with him. When she filed for divorce Hank was devastated. According to Ray, who accompanied Hank to the property settlement discussions, Hank was overly generous, giving Audrey much more than was required. He wanted to prove to her how much he still loved her. The divorce went through anyway and plunged Hank into further gloom. In the brief year Hank and Ray knew each other, there was not much time for light-hearted moments, for the hunting and fishing they might have shared in happier times. "We went and tried to fish, but..." Ray's voice trailed off, seemingly reluctant to explain just why the fishing trip never came off. He shifted the subject. "He liked to shoot a pistol. We'd go out on the target range." Hank continued to write songs for Ray. One of them was "I Can't Escape From You," which Ray duly recorded. But Hank also offered Ray some of his biggest hits, songs like "Jambalaya," and "Take These Chains From My Heart." Hank would bounce them off Ray and ask "What do you think of it? I wrote it for you." When Ray predicted they would be hits, Hank would often change his mind and take them back to record himself. Possibly Hank recognized Ray's ability to spot a hit, an ability proven later when Ray helped "launch" the songwriting careers of such "greats" as Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Harlan Howard, Bill Anderson and Kris Kristofferson. During the early months of 1952, living in the same house with Hank as his alcoholism progressed must have been difficult. One evening, Hank is said to have double-dated with singer Faron Young, but Hank preferred Faron's girl to his own. By the end of the evening when Hank was loaded, he called Faron into a bedroom and pointed a gun at him. He wanted to switch girls; he claimed to have fallen for Faron's date. Faron, understandably, agreed. Whether that story is true or not, Hank did end up marrying the girl, Billie Jean, later that year. But Billie Jean couldn't stop Hank on his downhill plunge. Hank finally became so far gone in his alcoholism that Ray, along with Don Helms, a member of Hank's band, were afraid he'd drink himself to death. They arranged to have him sedated and committed to the Madison Sanitarium to undergo treatment. Hank Williams' biographers have written that Hank was so furious that he ordered Ray to move out of the house, then later apologized and begged him not to leave. Ray, who was already loading a truck, is said to have responded. "I've got to." Ray revealed to me that he moved out of the house at that time, but not out of Hank's life. He moved for personal reasons that had nothing to do with Hank. He continued to be very much involved with Hank's activities. In August, Hank's drinking problem became too much for the Grand Ole Opry, where he had been a top star. They fired him. After Audrey and the divorce, it was another devastating loss for Hank. He left town to go to work for the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport. Ray remembers the day Hank left Nashville. As he was driving into town, he saw Hank in a service station, standing beside his Cadillac. Hank lifted his hand and motioned for Ray to stop. "Where are you going?" Hank asked as Ray pulled in. "Where are you going?" Ray wanted to know. "Back to Shreveport." He kind of laughed when he asked Ray, "You wanta come?" "I better not," Ray said. He would only see Hank alive one more time after that. Ray's career success continued to escalate in Nashville that fall as he became one of the the hottest entertainers in town. Hank had dreams of straightening out his life and returning to the Grand Ole Opry. It never happened. The final meeting of the two friends occurred at the Big D Jamboree in Dallas shortly before Christmas 1952. Hank caught sight of his friend and walked toward him smiling, singing a few lines from Ray's latest hit, "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes." They talked, and Hank suggested to Ray and his mother that he "might just come over and spend Christmas with you." They warmly invited him to do so, but Hank went back to his family in Alabama instead. Hank and Ray did make plans to get together in Ohio, however. They both had engagements in that state on New Year's Eve--Ray in Cleveland, Hank in Canton, fifty miles away. They arranged to meet in Canton on New Year's Day. By the end of 1952, the mid-section of the country was in the throes of a fierce winter storm. Hank, who had planned to fly to Canton, hired a chauffeur instead to drive him North in his powder blue Cadillac sedan. Ray was able to get the last flight out of Nashville. Hank couldn't sleep the night before that trip. He told his new wife, Billie Jean, that he saw "God comin' down the road." His health had been deteriorating. The trip was to prove his undoing. He died somewhere in West Virginia in the back seat of his Cadillac. The driver knew Hank had been drinking heavily and thought he had merely passed out. The death wasn't discovered until they pulled into the town of Oak Hill on New Year's day. Officially his demise was attributed to a heart attack. The meeting in Canton, Ohio, on New Year's Day between the two friends never took place. Instead, Ray was among a host of fellow performers bidding goodbye to the great Hank Williams at a massive funeral in Montgomery, Alabama, on January 4, 1953. All the stars of the Opry were there. The radio stations had been playing his music night and day. Fans wept. Hank was back in the fold again, a country music legend for all time. Hank Williams's career was brief, but unforgettable. In 1962, he one of the first performers to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Ray Price is still a star, a living legend, who has helped revolutionize more than a few changes in country music. In 1956, Ray's unique recording of "Crazy Arms" was a top hit for forty-five weeks, knocking even Elvis off the charts. It clearly established Ray Price as a leading light in country music. But Ray, in 1967, went in a new direction and with his concert-calibre voice, backed by dozens of violins, soared into a beautiful, show-stopping rendition of the classic, "Danny Boy." Unperturbed by criticism that he had deserted country music, Ray went on to new cross-over heights with his early 1970's hits, "For the Good Times," and "I Won't Mention it Again." Erasing the boundaries between country and pop became a vital issue for Ray Price. He had long resented the fact that Hank's songs were eagerly gobbled up by the pop world, but the country singer himself found it more difficult to cross over at that time. Today, however, Hank Williams is a household word, and Ray, still touring throughout the country, pays tribute to his mentor at each concert. In 1996, Ray Price was inducted into the Country Music Association Hall of Fame. In 1999, he celebrates his fiftieth successful year in the music business. Hank would have been proud of his protege. If you have a story or anecdote about Ray Price that you think Ray's fans would enjoy, we invite you to submit it for possible publication on this site. We're looking for anecdotes that are amusing, cute, heartwarming, or illustrative of the qualities that have made Ray Price a legendary performer. Please email your entry to fan club president SANDRA ORWIG at rpfc40@aol.com. The Day Ray Price almost fell for me Every Sunday back in the 50's the Country Music stars came to the Lyric theater in Indianapolis IN, and I never missed a one. One Sunday when I was around sixteen or there abouts, I had went to see George Hamilton the 4th, and was sitting in the first row, when this good looking guy tried to go pass me for a seat (you know how those theater seats are *S*) and I stuck out my foot to trip him, he just about fell!! Then in a little bit, George said We have a special guest with us tonight and we'd like to get him up here to sing a song for you. Well this good-looking guy got up and went on stage, George said,we'd like for you to meet Mr. Ray Price! Boy was I embarrassed. So I'll never forget how Ray almost fell for me! *S* I have loved Ray ever since! Written by:Liz Puett Reprinted with permission from Dick Shuey's Country Music Stories His Usual Considerate Self It had been many years since I had seen Ray when he was at the Choctaw Festival in Tuskahoma, Ok, a few years ago. I was so excited at seeing him again, so I made a special shirt to wear. It was a red t'shirt and had the slogan, "I love Ray Price" printed in white. My greatest desire was to have my picture made with Ray. After the show he was signing autographs and I waited until he was almost through then asked him to sign my shirt. Then my son took our picture. My son then told me he thought the flash malfunctioned and he was not sure it would be a good picture. I said we would wait until he was finished and maybe try again. Before Ray had signed the last autograph someone was calling from the bus to hurry, they were running late and had to go. He said ok, but first he had one more picture. Then he walked over to me, smiling, and said, "Now, let's get a good picture." He had heard my son's comment and took time to redo the picture although he was running behind schedule. What a guy!!!. Oh, yes both pictures were good. At another concert some months later in Omaha, Texas, I had injured my leg and was on crutches or wheelchair. After the show the line was very, very long and I knew I could not stand that long. So I resorted to the wheelchair. As we approached the table we were talking with Cliff and I mentioned I wanted to take a picture with Ray. And I was wearing another special shirt that said 'I still love Ray Price' Ray heard us and immediately got up and came around the table. He helped me out of the chair, signed my shirt and my son took our picture. On that particular night Ray was fighting a severe cold and was very sick, but that did not keep him from being his usual wonderful, considerate self. I could go on and on and on about Ray. He sure made a hit with my son who grew up on Ray Price music. I even told Ray my son, also named Clifton, could say Ray Price almost as soon as he could say Mommy. Thanks for all you do to promote 'our guy'. Florine It Wasn't Just A Cock-and-Bull Story The first time I met Ray Price was at the Travis County Live Stock Show & Rodeo. My husband and I had only been married a couple of years and I told him I would love to go and see Ray Price. He told me sure we could go and that he had known Ray for many, many years and that he used to handle game roosters for Ray when Ray would fight them in Oklahoma and Louisiana. At this point I was glad to get to go but had major doubts about how well he knew Ray. We bought 4 front and center tickets and waited for what seemed like forever. The night finally come. We got all made up in our best rodeo clothes to go and see the great Ray Price. I didn't watch much of the rodeo for looking to see if Ray was at the autograph table and waiting to hear him sing. The whole way to the rodeo ( an hour drive one way) my husband kept saying him and Ray this, him and Ray did that. Me and the boys were really getting tired of hearing this and thinking that he was full of BS. Before Ray sang they announced he would sign autographs after the show. I set through the show in pure heaven. Ray's voice melting every bone. Right before he finished the last song I told my husband we had to hurry to the autograph place. We went and were first in line. In a few minutes a long, long line had formed. Earlier in the night I had bought a double album to get Ray to sign. My husband said don't buy it I'll get Ray to give you one. Again sure you will. I bought it anyway. We waited for what seemed like hours. The whole time my husband telling us more cute stories. Finally the lady behind us said sure you know him and laughed. That was what we had thought. About that time Ray came out stopped,looked at my husband and said 'Damn, boy, I haven't seen you for years.' They hugged and started talking as if they had just seen each other the day before. After we picked up our jaws, even the lady behind us, Ray chewed my husband out for buying the album and signed it for me. He told my husband that Duke and some of the other old group were up in the Ball Room. He told someone there with him to take us up to the Ball Room which was a black tie or suit and tie place. We were in jeans, western shirts, and boots. The materdee at the door told us you can't come in here you're not properly dressed an your not the type of people that come here. About that time the guy from Ray's band caught up with us and told him that they are guests of Mr. Price. You should have seen that guy jump threw the hoop. It was great. From then on we were believers. Every time we go and see Ray I ask for him to sing my favorite song For the Good Times and we stand in front of the band and it seems as if he is singing for just us. We had plans to go and see him again in Llano but he was sick. There would have been a second favorite to ask for this time Soft Rain. One day we will catch up with him and get it done. Friends and fans, The Skinners A Fan Club President Has Some Stories Too These reminiscences of fan club president Sandra Orwig are reprinted from her most recent newsleter. Ray was playing one of the largest Pennsylvania fairs with three other well-known country artists. Before the show began the head of the fair committee came to the bus and told Ray that if he did not want to autograph after the show he did not have to do so as the others were not going to do so. Ray's reply made me so proud. He said, "I don't care who autographs, I am." He was the top billed star and the only one that cared enough about his fans to stay out in the cold and sign every autograph. It was a very cold September night and Ray closed the show so it was very dark on the race track when he autographed. When he finished, Blondie said to him, "Let's go," and he said, "No, I have to go talk to Sandra's Dad." As most of you know, my father is handicapped and does not get to go see Ray often, but Ray made sure we were escorted to park by the bus and then, regardless of the cold, late hour and long trip ahead of him back to Texas, he took the time to talk with my Dad. Only one reason why he has "Touched My Heart." Sandra Orwig (from her newsletter #55) "His timeless music, incredible voice, and innovative genius have yet to be equalled by any other singer in today's country-music world." Ray Price is one of American music's truly great stars. He was inducted into Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996, but has long shown his genius in other genres as well. After more than a half-century in the business, Ray can still belt out a song with the best of them, whether it's honky-tonk, country, pop, blues, jazz, or anything in between. With his May 2000 Buddha Records release--"Prisoner of Love"--Ray has delightfully proven this once again with a big-band-backed medley in many moods and styles. Audiences full of cheering fans still flock to his concerts whenever he's in town, and that's fairly often, for this vigorous Texan maintains a hefty tour schedule. On Inauguration Eve 2001, Ray was proud to be on stage in Washington, D.C., as one of the Texas performers who entertained enormous crowds at the Texas Black Tie and Boots Ball. This dynamic artist can be proud also of his role in the history of country music. In fact, he has helped to write that history as well as live it. He was born Noble Ray Price on January 12, 1926, near Perryville, Texas, and his musical talents became evident at an early age. While in college, Ray became a regular on KRLD radio's "Big D Jamboree" show in Dallas. On March 15, 1951, Ray signed with prestigious Columbia Records, and in 1952, moved to Nashville where his great friend and supporter was the legendary Hank Williams. Hank got Ray on the Grand Ole Opry and the two shared bachelor quarters during the last year of Hank's brief but memorable life. Ray's band was initially formed from the remnants of Hank Williams' band, the Drifting Cowboys. The band would later become the Cherokee Cowboys, and Ray himself would become known as the Cherokee Cowboy. Ray has always had an uncanny talent for recognizing quality in both music and musicians. The careers of many country music superstars, such as Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Johnny Paycheck, Darrell McCall, Buddy Emmons, and Johnny Bush, began with Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys. Ray Price became noted for his magnificent show-stopping voice and honky-tonk hits throughout the 1950's. On the way to the top, he also helped revolutionize more than a few changes in country music. In 1956, when rock and roll was threatening to drown out the sounds of traditional country music, it took Ray's rendition of "Crazy Arms" to knock Elvis off the charts. That recording's 45 weeks at the top of the charts got people listening to country music again and clearly established Ray Price as a leader in the field. But Ray has never been so traditional that he didn't innovate. During the "Crazy Arms" recording session, he added drums and a 4-4 bass and shuffle rhythm that redefined the way country music was played for years to come. Then, just when everyone else in country was turning to that sound, Ray, in 1967, went in a new direction and added a large string section and with his concert-calibre voice soared into a beautiful, show-stopping rendition of the classic, "Danny Boy." Audiences were stunned by its beauty. His "Danny Boy" album made him new fans in sections of the country far beyond the Mason- Dixon line. But some in Nashville and the South thought he had deserted country music and didn't take it well. Unperturbed, Ray went on to new heights with his early 1970's hits, "For the Good Times," and "I Won't Mention it Again." He refused to accept boundaries between country and pop. Music was music. A lot of Ray's strong feeling about artificial boundaries in music goes back to his close association with his mentor and close friend, Hank Williams. Ray resented the fact that Hank's songs were eagerly accepted by the pop world but the country singer himself was not. At least in that day and age. A few year later he would have been, according to Ray. But not then. Erasing the lines between country and pop became a vital issue for Ray Price. With his own brand of individualism, he continues to cross musical boundaries and create songs and sounds for everyone. His latest album, "Prisoner of Love," was recorded with a 50-piece orchestra. It combines old country standards with beautiful ballads from all eras, and includes a few new songs never before recorded. This Country Music Hall of Fame legend is the soul of country music. He continues to be creative and expand conventional boundaries with his music, while never forgetting his roots. His timeless music and incredible commitment to performing has made him a bridge between the early days of country to today's contemporary country music. The Los Angeles Times has declared Ray Price to be 'a national treasure.' Another newspaper has compared him to Frank Sinatra. Ask any Ray Price fan, however, if that's true. Most of them will tell you that Ray Price has no equal anywhere when it comes to delivering a song and pleasing an audience. Born: January, 12, 1926 Years Active: 50's 60's 70's 80's 90's 2000's Related Artists: Kitty Wells, Harlan Howard, Carl Butler, Allan Sisters, Ferlin Husky sponsored content by biggerboat Released: 10/30/2007 1 disc / 21 Tracks Label: Warner Bros. Compare Prices Click for Additional Details Larry the Cable Guy Christmastime in Lar... 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Larry the Cable Guy Christmastime in Larryland Upcoming Concerts 12/01/07 Stafford Centre for the Performing Arts - Amphitheater Stafford TX view all tour information Ray Price has covered -- and kicked up -- as much musical turf as any country singer of the postwar era. He's been lionized as the man who saved hard country when Nashville went pop, and vilified as the man who went pop when hard country was starting to call its own name with pride. Actually, he was -- and still is -- no more than a musically ambitious singer, always looking for the next challenge for a voice that could bring down roadhouse walls. Circa 1949, Price cut his first record for Bullet in Dallas. In 1951, he was picked up by Columbia, the label for which he would record for more than 20 years. After knocking around in Lefty Frizzell's camp for six months or so (his first Columbia single was a Frizzell composition) Price befriended Hank Williams. The connection brought him to the Opry and profoundly affected his singing style. After Hank died, Price starting stretching out more as a singer and arranger. His experimentation culminated in the 4/4 bass-driven "Crazy Arms," the country song of the year for 1956. The intensely rhythmic sound he discovered with "Crazy Arms" would dominate his -- and much of country in general's -- music for the next six years. To this day, people in Nashville refer to a 4/4 country shuffle as the "Ray Price beat." Heavy on fiddle, steel, and high tenor harmony, his country work from the late '50s is as lively as the rock & roll of the same era. Price tired of that sound, however, and started messing around with strings. His lush 1967 version of "Danny Boy" and his 1970 take on Kris Kristofferson's "For the Good Times" were, in their crossover way, landmark records. But few of his old fans appreciated the fact. In the three decades following "For the Good Times," Price's career was often an awkward balancing act in which twin Texas fiddles are weighed against orchestras. Born in tiny Perryville, TX, Price spent most of his youth in Dallas. It was there where he learned how to play guitar and 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. Price stayed in the service throughout World War II, returning to Texas in 1946. After leaving the Marines, he initially returned to college, yet he began to perform at local clubs and honky tonks, as well as on the local radio station KRBC, where he was dubbed the Cherokee Cowboy. Three years later, he was invited to join the Dallas-based The Big D Jamboree, which convinced him to make music his full-time career. Shortly after joining The Big D Jamboree, the show began to be televised by CBS, which helped him release a single, "Your Wedding Corsage"/"Jealous Lies," on the independent Dallas label Bullet. Price moved to Nashville to pursue a major-label record contract in 1951. After auditioning and 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, Law was uninterested in Price -- he turned him down 20 times and threatened Martin never to mention his name again -- but he was unprepared to give a rival company a chance at the vocalist. Just before "Talk to Your Heart" became a number three hit for Price in the spring of 1952, Ray met his idol, Hank Williams, who immediately became a close friend. Over the next year, Hank performed a number of favors for Price, including giving him "Weary Blues" to record and helping him join the Grand Ole Opry. Ray also became the permanent substitute for Hank whenever he was missing or too drunk to perform. Following Williams' death in 1953, Price inherited the Drifting Cowboys. Following the success of "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" in the fall of 1952, Price was quiet for much of 1953. It wasn't until 1954 that he returned to the charts with "I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)," a number two hit that kicked off a successful year for Price that also included the Top Ten singles "Release Me" and "If You Don't, Somebody Else Will." Instead of capitalizing on that success, he disappeared from the charts during 1955, as he spent the year forming the Cherokee Cowboys. Over the course of the past two years, he had realized 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 a number of gifted musicians began their careers in this band, including Roger Miller, Johnny Paycheck, Buddy Emmons, Johnny Bush, and Willie Nelson. Ray returned to the charts in 1956, first with "Run Boy" and then with "Crazy Arms," a driving honky tonk number that immediately became a country classic. The song was one of the first country records to be recorded with a drum kit, which gave it a relentless, pulsating rhythm. Until Price, most country artists were reluctant to use drums and the instrument was even banned from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. The blockbuster status of the single helped change that situation. Spending an astonishing 20 weeks at the top of the country charts, "Crazy Arms" not only crossed over into the lower reaches of the pop charts, but it also established Price as a star. After the success of the single, he remained at or near the top of the charts for the next ten years, racking up 23 Top Ten singles between the 1956 and 1966. During this time, he recorded a remarkable number of country classics, including "I've Got a New Heartache" (number two, 1956), "My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You" (number one, 1957), "Make the World Go Away" (number two, 1963), and "City Lights," which spent 13 weeks at the top of the charts in 1958. The momentum of Price's career had slowed somewhat by the mid-'60s; though he was still having hits, they weren't as frequent nor as big. His musical inclinations were also shifting, bringing him closer to the crooning styles of traditional pop singers. Ray abandoned the cowboy suits and brought in strings to accompany him, making him one of the first to explore the smooth, orchestrated sounds of late-'60s and early-'70s country-pop. While it alienated some hardcore honky tonk fans, the change in approach resulted in another round of Top Ten hits. However, it took a little while for the country audience to warm to this new sound -- it wasn't until 1970, when his cover of Kris Kristofferson's "For the Good Times" hit number one, that he returned to the top of the charts. Over the next three years, he scored an additional three number one singles ("I Won't Mention It Again," "She's Got to Be a Saint," "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me"). By the mid-'70s, the appeal of his string-laden country-pop hits had diminished, and he spent the rest of the decade struggling to get into the charts. In 1974, he left his long-time home of Columbia Records to sign to Myrrh, where he had two Top Ten hits over the next year. By the end of 1975, he had left the label, signing to ABC/Dot. Though he hadn't changed his style, his records became less popular around the same time he signed to ABC/Dot; only 1977's "Mansion on the Hill" gained much attention. In 1978, he switched labels again, signing with Monument, which proved to be another unsuccessful venture. In 1980, Price reunited with his old bassist Willie Nelson, recording the duet album San Antonio Rose, which was a major success, spawning the number three hit "Faded Love." San Antonio Rose reignited Ray's career, and in 1981 he had two Top Ten singles -- "It Don't Hurt Me Half as Bad" and "Diamonds in the Stars" -- for his new label, Dimension. Price left Dimension in 1983, signing with Warner Records. He remained at the label for one year, and by that time, his new spell of popularity had cooled down considerably; now, he was having trouble reaching the Top 40. That situation didn't remedy itself for the remainder of the decade, even though he signed with two new labels: Viva (1983-1984) and Step One (1985-1989). By the late '80s, Price had stopped concentrating on recording and had turned his efforts toward a theater he owned in Branson, MO. For most of the '90s, he sang and performed at his theater in Branson, occasionally stopping to record. Of all of his '90s records, the most notable is the 1992 album Sometimes a Rose, which was produced by Norro Wilson. (Less)

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