Ray Doggett

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Elmer Ray Doggett (born August 6, 1936 in Sweetwater , Texas , † March 16, 2002 in Nashville , Tennessee ) was an American rockabilly musician, songwriter and producer .

biography

Ray Doggett was born in the small Texan town of Sweetwater. During high school he started playing guitar and was a member of several bands. In 1953 he graduated from school and a year later he founded his own band, the Zircons. In 1956, Doggett and his band opened a concert for country stars Marty Robbins and Johnny Horton in San Antonio . Bennie Hess , owner of the Spade Records label in Houston , heard about Doggett and gave him the chance to record his first record.

In the summer of 1956, Doggett's first rockabilly single, Go Go Heart / Falling Tear Drops , was released, but due to Spade's limited opportunities, it was only able to achieve local success. Doggett then toured with friend Royce Porter , who was also under contract with Spade, and also played on one of Porter's recording sessions. In early 1957 Spade released a second record, It Hurts the One Who Loves You / That's the Way Love Is with Me , which sold well again locally. Due to this fact, Bennie Hess was able to reach an agreement with the major label Decca Records , which released the single nationwide. But even this did not bring the desired success, because the record did not make it into the charts.

However, with his talent as a composer, Doggett had some successes during these years. He wrote Rakin 'and Scrapin with Dean Beard and On My Mind Again with Slim Willet . In addition, musicians like Mickey Gilley , Bob Denton , Ace Ball , Johnny Guidry , Jan Moore, Dharell Rhodes and Bruce Channell recorded his compositions. Musically, Doggett tried his hand at small Texas labels like Kix, TNT Records, and his own Ken Lee label. In 1958 he returned to Bennie Hess and released a single on Hess' new label Pearl Records. Doggett's last single was released on the larger Top Rank International label , which offered him a recording deal due to Doggett's increasing regional popularity. But even here he could not record any success with the single Can I Be the One / Restless Heart .

Frustrated with constant touring and failure, Doggett turned to other facets of the music business. He had already had success with the production of Kenny Rogers ' first single on Carlton Records in 1958 and now he has devoted himself entirely to the production of other artists. During the 1960s he looked after musicians like Tommy Clay , Huey Meaux , Lelan Rogers and the Counts . In the late 1970s, Doggett George Straits produced his first records and in the early 1980s he led Big H. Sound Distributors out of the old Gold Star Studios . 1989 was Germany from Hydra Records an LP issued complete with Doggett's 1950s works. In the last years of his life he built up the company Entertainment Success Unlimited despite throat cancer and in 2002, shortly before his death, he produced Shaun Avery's debut record together with Ray Walker. Ray Doggett died of a heart attack in Nashville in 2002 at the age of 67 . He was buried in Sweetwater.

Discography

year title Label #
1956 Go Go Heart / Falling Tear Drops Spade 1928
1957 It Hurts the One Who Loves You / That's the Way Love Is with Me Spade 1932
1957 It Hurts the One Who Loves You / That's the Way Love Is with Me Decca 9-30295
1957 Love Is Made of This / Now It's Over Kix 102
1958 No Doubt About It / I'm Afraid Pearl 45-716-P
1958 Whirlpool of Love / High School Wedding Ring TNT 159
1959 Beach Party / So Lonely Tonight Ken-lee 101
1959 Can I Be the One / Restless Heart Top Rank Int. RA-2025

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