Collin Raye
Collin Raye |
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Floyd Collin Wray (born August 22, 1959, in De Queen, Arkansas[1]) is an American country music singer-songwriter, more commonly known by his stage name Collin Raye. He made his debut on the American country music scene in 1991 with the release of his debut album All I Can Be, which produced his first Number One hit in "Love, Me". All I Can Be was the first of four consecutive albums released by Raye to achieve RIAA platinum certification in the United States for sales of one million copies each.[1]
Throughout the 1990s, Collin continued to produce Top Ten singles on the country music charts. By the end of the decade, however, his momentum had slowed; 2001's Can't Back Down was his first album that did not produce a Top 40 country hit, and he was dropped by his record label soon afterward.[1] He did not record another studio album until 2005's Twenty Years and Change, released on an independent label.
Between 1991 and the present, Raye has charted thirty singles on the U.S. country charts; he has also charted twice on the Adult Contemporary format as a duet partner on two Jim Brickman songs. Four of Raye's singles have reached Number One on the Billboard country music charts: 1992's "Love, Me" and "In This Life", 1994's "My Kind of Girl", and 1998's "I Can Still Feel You". He has also recorded a total of eleven studio albums, counting a Christmas album and a compilation of lullabies, in addition to releasing a Greatest Hits compilation, a live album, and a live CD/DVD package. His most recent compilation, an EP titled Selected Hits, was released in 2007.
Early years
Floyd Collin Wray was born in De Queen, Arkansas on August 22, 1959. His mother, Lois Wray, was a local musician; in the 1950s, she served as an opening act for several Sun Records artists, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.[2][3] Later, she became a solo musician in her own right; she would occasionally bring both Floyd and his brother Scott onstage to sing harmony vocals.[1] By the 1980s, the two brothers began a country-rock band called the Wray Brothers Band, in which Collin assumed the stage name Bubba Wray.[1] The Wray Brothers Band performed primarily in the state of Texas, and later in Reno, Nevada, eventually releasing singles on independent labels. By 1986, the band (which had shortened its name to The Wrays) signed to Mercury Records, with two singles being released on that label.[3] After the singles failed to chart, the Wrays disbanded.[1]
Solo career
Beginnings
By the end of the 1980s, Collin had considered leaving his music career and finding work at a factory to support his family; however, he changed his mind and continued pursuing a musical career. After altering the spelling of his last name to Raye, Collin was signed to a record deal with Epic Records in 1990.[1] His debut single, "All I Can Be (Is a Sweet Memory)", entered the charts in 1991, reaching a peak of #29 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. Raye's first album, also titled All I Can Be, was released soon afterward.
The followup single, a ballad co-written by Skip Ewing and titled "Love, Me", quickly climbed to Number One on the country music charts in early 1992, holding the peak position for three weeks; in addition, the single received a Song of the Year nomination from the Country Music Association.[2] Spurred by the success of "Love, Me", All I Can Be was certified platinum by the RIAA for U.S. sales of one million copies.[2]
In This Life and Extremes
Raye's second album, titled In This Life, was released in 1992. The album's title track, which served as its lead-off single, not only went to the top of the Billboard country charts, but also became a hit on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts. In late 1992, Raye made an appearance on the television drama series "Street Justice", where he gave a live performance of "In This Life".[4] The album produced three additional Top Ten country hits, and was also certified platinum.
1993 saw the release of Raye's third album. Titled Extremes, it received critical acclaim for its more socially aware content, most evidently in the second single, "Little Rock", a story of a recovering alcoholic.[5] The song's accompanying music video also promoted Al-Anon, an international support group for friends and family of alcoholics.[1][2] Overall, Extremes produced five straight Top Ten hits on the country charts, including the Number One single "My Kind of Girl" in 1994; it also became Raye's third consecutive platinum album.
Mid-career
I Think About You and The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits
I Think About You was the title of Raye's fourth album. Released in 1995, it produced six singles overall and became Raye's fourth consecutive platinum-certified album.[5] The album's title track was a Top Five hit on the country charts; in addition, its music video won a Video of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music.[6]
In 1996, Raye also released a Christmas album titled Christmas: The Gift. A year later, his first Greatest Hits package was issued; titled The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits, it comprised several of his hit singles from the past five years, as well as four new songs, of which three released as singles. "What the Heart Wants" and "Little Red Rodeo" both reached Top Five on the country music charts, while "The Gift", a collaboration with Jim Brickman and Susan Ashton, was a Top Five hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. Direct Hits received a gold certification from the RIAA for selling 500,000 copies in the United States.
The Walls Came Down
The Walls Came Down was the title of Collin's fifth studio album. Released in 1998, the album produced his fourth and final Billboard Number One single in "I Can Still Feel You".[1] "Someone You Used to Know" and the Radney Foster-penned "Anyone Else" were both Top Five hits as well; however, "Start Over Georgia", the fourth single (co-written by Raye's brother), barely made Top 40. Also included on The Walls Came Down was the ballad "The Eleventh Commandment", in which Raye spoke out against child abuse. Although "The Eleventh Commandment" was never released as a single, a music video was made for the song, featuring a number for a child abuse hotline at the end.[7] Counting Sheep, a special album composed of lullabies for Raye's children, was released in 2000.
Downfall
2001 saw the release of Tracks, Raye's sixth album. Its first release, the primarily spoken-word "Couldn't Last a Moment", was a Top Five hit on the country charts. "Tired of Loving This Way", which followed, was a duet with singer-actress Bobbie Eakes. Although it was Raye's first single to miss the Top 40, it provided Eakes with her first and only appearance on the country music charts.[8]
Can't Back Down, Collin's last album for Epic, was released in 2001. Neither of the album's two singles entered Top 40 on the country music charts. Due to a conflict with his label, Raye asked out of his contract that year.[9][10] Although he did not have a record label at the time, he entered the Adult Contemporary charts for the third time in 2003, as a duet partner on Jim Brickman's single "Peace (Where the Heart Is)". 2004 saw the release of Raye's first live album, Live at Billy Bob's Texas; a promotional single titled "World History 101" was released in 2005.[11]
Present-day
In 2006, Raye signed to the independent Aspirion label, releasing his Twenty Years and Change compilation. Two singles were released from the album, although neither single charted. The same year, Raye appeared in television commercials for Fruit of the Loom underwear, in which he sang the jingle "You Can't Over-Love Your Underwear".[9] Another studio album, Fearless, was released in 2006.
In 2007, a CD/DVD combination titled The Power in You was released, followed by an EP titled Selected Hits. The latter includes "That's My Story", "Little Rock", "I Think About You" and "Love, Me", as well as two new tracks: "A Soldier's Prayer" and "Quitters". Both of the new tracks were released as singles in 2007.
Musical stylings
Collin's voice is described as a "warm, smooth tenor".[2] He is known primarily for his country pop ballads, such as "Love, Me" (a popular choice at funerals)[1] and "In This Life" (one of the most popular wedding songs of the 1990s).[1][2] However, he has also shown a diverse musical style in his work, such as the spoken-word verses of "Couldn't Last a Moment",[8] or the more rock-tinged, up-tempo "That's My Story" and "I Want You Bad (And That Ain't Good)".[2]
Raye is also known for dealing with social issues in his material. "Little Rock", for example, tells of a recovering alcoholic; its music video included the number for Al-Anon, as a means of public service announcement. "What If Jesus Comes Back Like That", from his I Think About You album, is a power ballad that poses questions about the return of Jesus Christ in the modern world.[5] In "The Eleventh Commandment", a track from The Walls Came Down, Raye addresses child abuse, suggesting "honor thy children" as an eleventh commandment to accompany the Ten Commandments.[12] In the song's music video, a telephone number for the child abuse hotline ChildHelp USA was included.[7]
Discography
The following is a list of all albums officially released by Collin Raye to date, as well as their positions on the major U.S. Billboard albums charts and RIAA certifications in the United States.[13] (In the United States, an album is certified gold for sales of 500,000 copies, and platinum for sales of one million copies.)
Main albums
| Date | Title | Label | Chart Positions | US RIAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US 200 | ||||
| 1991 | All I Can BeA | Epic Records | 7 | 54 | Platinum |
| 1992 | In This Life | 10 | 42 | Platinum | |
| 1994 | Extremes | 12 | 73 | Platinum | |
| 1995 | I Think About You | 5 | 40 | Platinum | |
| 1998 | The Walls Came Down | 8 | 55 | ||
| 2000 | Tracks | 9 | 81 | ||
| 2001 | Can't Back Down | 39 | |||
| 2005 | Twenty Years and Change | Aspirion Records | |||
| 2006 | Fearless | Country Roads Records | |||
AAll I Can Be also peaked at #5 on Top Heatseekers.
Compilations and miscellaneous albums
| Date | Title | Label | Chart Positions | US RIAA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US 200 | ||||
| 1996 | Christmas: The Gift | Epic Records | 23 | 126 | |
| 1997 | The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits | 4 | 33 | Gold | |
| 2000 | Counting SheepA | ||||
| Love Songs | 43 | ||||
| 2002 | 16 Biggest Hits | ||||
| 2004 | Live at Billy Bob's Texas | Smith Music Group | |||
| 2007 | The Power in You (CD/DVD combination) | Starpointe Records | |||
| Selected Hits (EP) | |||||
ACounting Sheep peaked at #7 on Top Kid Audio.
Singles
The following chart indicates all singles and chart entries by Collin Raye to date, as well as their peak positions on the U.S. Billboard country music, Hot 100, and Adult Contemporary charts.
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Hot 100 | US AC | |||
| 1991 | "All I Can Be (Is a Sweet Memory)" | 29 | All I Can Be | ||
| "Love, Me" | 1 | ||||
| 1992 | "Every Second" | 2 | |||
| "It Could Have Been So Good"A | 74 | ||||
| "In This Life" | 1 | 21 | In This Life | ||
| "I Want You Bad (And That Ain't Good)" | 7 | ||||
| 1993 | "Somebody Else's Moon" | 5 | |||
| "That Was a River" | 4 | ||||
| "That's My Story" | 6 | Extremes | |||
| 1994 | "Little Rock"B | 2 | |||
| "Man of My Word" | 8 | ||||
| "My Kind Of Girl" | 1 | ||||
| 1995 | "If I Were You" | 4 | |||
| "One Boy, One Girl" | 2 | 87 | I Think About You | ||
| "Not That Different"B | 3 | 114 | |||
| 1996 | "I Think About You" | 3 | |||
| "Love Remains" | 12 | ||||
| "What If Jesus Comes Back Like That" | 21 | ||||
| 1997 | "On the Verge" | 2 | |||
| "The Gift" (with Jim Brickman and Susan Ashton)C | 51 | 3 | The Best Of Collin Raye: Direct Hits | ||
| "What the Heart Wants"B | 2 | ||||
| "Little Red Rodeo" | 3 | ||||
| 1998 | "I Can Still Feel You" | 1 | The Walls Came Down | ||
| "Someone You Used to Know"B | 3 | 37 | |||
| 1999 | "Anyone Else" | 4 | 37 | ||
| "Start Over Georgia" | 39 | ||||
| 2000 | "Couldn't Last a Moment" | 3 | 43 | Tracks | |
| "Tired of Loving This Way" (w/ Bobbie Eakes) | 50 | ||||
| "She's All That" | 43 | ||||
| 2001 | "You Still Take Me There" | 47 | Can't Back Down | ||
| "Ain't Nobody Gonna Take That From Me" | 43 | ||||
| 2003 | "Peace (Where the Heart Is)" (w/ Jim Brickman) | 15 | Peace (Jim Brickman album) | ||
| 2004 | "World History 101"D | single only | |||
| 2005 | "I Know That's Right"D | Twenty Years and Change | |||
| 2006 | "Hurricane Jane"D | ||||
| 2007 | "A Soldier's Prayer" | 59 | Selected Hits | ||
| "Quitters"D | |||||
- ACharted from unsolicited airplay.
- BReached #1 on U.S. Radio & Records country singles charts.
- C"The Gift" was released only to the Adult Contemporary format, and entered the country charts from unsolicited airplay.
- DFailed to chart.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Huey, Steve. "allmusic ((( Collin Raye > Biography)))". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Collin Raye Biography". MusicianGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b "Collin Raye: Biography". CMT.com. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ "Street Justice: Country Justice". TV.com. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b c "Collin Raye Biography". Oldies.com. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ Taylor, Jim (2003-05-09). "Collin Raye Homecoming Concert Slated for June 20 in DeQueen". Arkansas Media Room. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b "Raye Makes A Difference". CMT.com. 1998-09-11. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b "Collin Raye Makes "Tracks" to Turn Over a New Leaf". CMT.com. 2000-05-08. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ a b "20 Questions with Collin Raye". CMT.com. 2005-12-07. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ "Raye, Epic Parting Ways". CMT.com. 2001-12-19. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ Thunell, Peter (2004-08-24). "Collin Raye delights Orem audience". Deseret News. FindArticles.com. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ "Thou Shalt Listen To Collin". CMT.com. 1998-07-22. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
- ^ "allmusic ((( Collin Raye > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2007-11-23.