Ray Smith (singer, 1934)

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Singles

Rockin 'Little Angel   US 22nd 04/01/1960 (16 weeks) Put your arms around me, honey   US 91 05/09/1960 (2 weeks)

Raymond Eugene Smith (born October 31, 1934 in Melber , Kentucky , † November 29, 1979 in Burlington , Ontario ), also known as Rockin 'Ray Smith , was an American rockabilly musician.

Career

Ray Smith was the son of a farmer. During his childhood he listened to country greats like Eddy Arnold , Ernest Tubb and Gene Autry . He made his first experiences as a musician with the Air Force when a supervisor ordered him to sing songs. In a subsequent competition of the Army Unit, he took first place with Hank Williams ' Lovesick Blues . After his military service, he founded the "Rock and Roll Boys" in 1956 with James Webb on bass and rhythm guitar, Raymond Jones on guitar , Dean Perkins on steel guitar and Henry Stevens on drums . The young Stanley Walker soon joined them as a guitarist. The band toured nightclubs in the southern and western United States. With the "Ray Smith Show" the guitarist, pianist and harmonica player also had his own radio show in Paducah , Kentucky .

Ray Smith on Wix Records

Smith's manager Charlie Terrell gave him a contract with Sam Phillips , in whose Sun Records studio in Memphis , Tennessee , the first recordings took place and where Elvis Presley , Johnny Cash , Jerry Lee Lewis , Roy Orbison and others. v. a. had recorded very successful rockabilly and rock 'n' roll hits. The composer, pianist and later country star Charlie Rich completed the "Rock and Roll Boys" for work in the studio. The sessions were produced by Jack Clement and Bill Justis . His record successes enabled Smith to appear on television such as B. on the Dick Clark Show or in the American Bandstand . On the mediation of Narvel Felts , Ray joins a regular tour with Felts, Conway Twitty and Ronnie Hawkins through Canada from 1959 , which becomes his second home personally and professionally.

Smith's move to Judd Records brought him his greatest success with Rockin 'Little Angel . For the melody he used a song from 1844 called Buffalo Gals . A second chart hit, Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey , was an adaptation of a top hit by Arthur Collins and Byron Harlan from 1911. Under Sam's brother Jud Phillips , he also changed his style from rocker to ballad interpreter. With the other label changes to Infinity , Vee-Jay , Warner Brothers , Smash , Tollie, Celebrity Circle, Diamond , BC, Cinnamon, Corona and the Canadian Boots Records, Smith turned more towards country . The small label BC Records was founded exclusively by manager Charlie Terrell for Smith's publications, as was his last label, Wix Records, by fan club employee Tommie Wix. On Wix, Ray Smith had a hit in England with Room Full of Roses and went back to his original rock 'n' roll sound from the 1950s.

Ray Smith died in 1979 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his longtime residence in Burlington , Ontario . He left a wife and a son.

Discography

Singles

year	title	Record company
1958	So Young / Right Behind You Baby	Sun 298
1958	Why, Why, Why / You Made a Hit	Sun 308
1959	Sail Away / Rockin 'Bandit	Sun 319
1959	That's All Right / Rockin 'Little Angel	Judd 1016
1960	Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey / Maria Elena	Judd 1017
1960	Makes Me Feel Good / One Wonderful Love	Judd 1019
1960	Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes / You Don't Want Me	Judd 1021
1961	Travelin 'Salesman / I Won't Miss You (' til You Go)	Sun 372
1961	Turn on the Moonlight / After this Night Is Through	Infinity 003
1961	Johnny the Hummer / Let Yourself Go	Infinity 007
1962	Candy Doll / Hey, Boss Man	Sun 375
1962	Room 503 / Those Four Precious Years	Smash 1787
1963	I'm Snowed / Turn Over a New Leaf	Warner Bros. 5371
1964	Rockin 'Robin / Robbin' the Cradle	Vee jay 579
1964	Did We Have a Party / Here Comes My Baby Back Again	Tollie 9029
1965	I Walk the Line / Fool Number One	Celebrity Circle 6901
1965	Everybody's Goin 'Somewhere / Au-Go-Go-Go	Diamond 193
	I Guess I Better Move Along / Four Seasons of Life	BC 351
	Walk On By / Did He Hurt You All That Bad	BC 4100
	Let the Four Winds Blow / I'm in Love	BC 7130
1972	Tilted Cup of Love (mono) / Tilted Cup of Love (stereo)	Cinnamon 755
1972	It Wasn't Easy / It's Just not the Same	Cinnamon 760
1973	( Harold Dorman : Mountain of Love ) / Nice Guy	Goldies 2595
1973	First Lonely Weekend / Handful of Friends	Cinnamon 773
1974	Because Of Losing You / Ten Steps Out in Front	Cinnamon 795
1975	Thank You Love / It Wasn't Easy	Corona 222
1976	Kaw-Liga / Walking Into Your Life	Corona 226
1976	How's His Memory Doing Today / Light a Candle	Corona 230
1977	One Hand on the Bottle and One Foot on the Grave	Boat 175
1977	Light that Candle / She's Pulling Me Back Again	Boat 177
1978	Room Full of Roses / Break Up	Wix 101
1978	Whole Lotta Shakin 'Goin' On / Me and Bobby McGee	Wix 102

Albums

year	title	Label LP- #
1960	Travelin 'with Ray	Judd LP-701
1976	It's great, it's Ray Smith	Rock 'N' Roll LP-002
1978	The Country Side	Boat LP-7182
1978	I'm gonna rock some more	Wix LP-1000
1982	Live in '62	Wix LP-1002
1982	Live in Germany (Bootleg)	Rundell LP-003
1987	Rare items	Revival LP-3004
1988	I'm right behind you baby	Sun LP-1009
1999	Ray Smith Sings And Rocks	Rundell LP-013

Web links

• Discography on Rockin 'Country Style until 1964
• 1979 Rockabilly Hall of Fame interview with Ray Smith

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Joel Whitburn : Top Pop Singles 1955-2006 . Record Research, 2007, ISBN 978-0-89820-172-7
2. ↑ ^{a b} rockabillyhall.com Interview with Ray Smith from 1979
3. ↑ ^{a b} rockabillyhall.com Narvel Felts in an interview on Ray Smith
4. ↑ Article on Smith's recordings for Wix Records ( January 16, 2005 memento in the Internet Archive )