Ray Stevens

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Harold Ray Ragsdale (born January 24, 1939), better known as Ray Stevens, is a American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian best known for his hit songs "Everything Is Beautiful" and "Misty," as well as comedies such as "Gitarzan" and "The Streak."

He has worked as a producer, music arranger, producer, television host, and solo artist; he has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and the Christian Music Hall of Fame; and received gold medals for his music performances. In 2019, he will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Early life

Harold Ray Ragsdale was born in Clarkdale, Georgia, on January 24, 1939. He is the elder of two sons born to Willis Harold Ragsdale (1915–2001) and Frances Stephens Ragsdale (1916–97). John, who was an actor and writer, has a younger brother who was an actor and writer. In 2020, John died at the age of 75. Stevens formed The Barons, a rhythm and blues band that performed in high school. Stevens came from Georgia State University as a music major following his graduation.

Personal life

Stevens was married to Penny Jackson Ragsdale for more than 60 years before his death on December 31, 2021, from a long fight with cancer. He cancelled his New Year's Eve concert in CabaRay two days before due to her rapidly declining health. They had two children and four grandchildren.

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Career

Stevens signed to Capitol Records' Prep Records division in 1957 and released the single "Silver Bracelet" on the B-side with a back-up of "Rang Tang Dong" on the front. Billboard gave the single a positive review. The B-side was first recorded by doo-wop company The Cellos in 1956.

Stevens first appeared on Mercury Records in 1961.

Stevens became a producer and studio musician in Nashville in the 1970s. During 1970-1979, he performed for Barnaby Records and Warner Brothers. Stevens' most popular single in the United States was his gospel-inflected song "Everything Is Beautiful" (1970). The single, which was the theme song for his summer 1970 TV show, debuted on both the pop and Adult-Contemporary charts, and it was his first appearance in the Top 40 on the country charts, peaking at number 39. It sold more than one million copies and was given a gold disc.

Stevens had a transatlantic chart-topping success with "The Streak," a novelty song about streaking that debuted at number one on the American and British singles charts, in 1974.

Stevens concentrated mostly on serious subjects in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some exceptions (such as "Shriner's Convention" in 1981), as he felt that the novelty song was getting less popular in the day. Stevens had a success with "I Want Your Help Barry Manilow," a cut from Stevens's Barry Manilow tribute/parody album The Feeling's Not Right Again.

Stevens joined MCA in 1984. He authorised the rush release of "Mississippi Revival," which reached the country's top 20, after realizing that novelty songs were back to their form. He appeared with Pinkard & Bowden at the Lanierland Music Park in Georgia in 1985.

We the People, Stevens' album/DVD of political songs, was released in April 2010. This album debuted on top of the Billboard Comedy Album chart at number five.

In January 2014, RAY-ality TV's digital television run came to an end. A webisode series named Rayality TV was also launched in March 2014. Stevens appeared in Campin' Buddies in 2014.

In 2014, Stevens' autobiographical memoir Ray Stevens' Nashville was published.

On March 24, 2015, Stevens released "Here We Go Again," a Taylor Swift parody song "Taylor Swift is Stalking Me" and "Come to the United States."

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