He was not a musician, yet spent some 60 years in the commercial music business beginning as a stock boy and rising to become the nation's first African-American executive of a major record company. The grandson of a former slave, Eddie Ray takes you from the rural foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains to the top executive suites of the burgeoning music industry of the 1950s and 1960s. You'll get a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the music business and how Ray became a formidable force in helping shape that dynamic industry. Starting as a stock boy for Decca Records in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when he was 18 years old, Ray eventually rose to become vice president of Capitol-Tower Records in Hollywood, California, at the time one of the top major record companies in the U.S., the first African-American in such a decision-making role. But prior to this top post, Ray was first an extraordinary record sales and promotions man whom acquaintances still describe today as having "an ear for what would sell." Read about the impact he had on the careers of stars such as Ricky Nelson, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Ernie Freeman, Mike Curb, Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, Sandy Nelson, and even Pink Floyd. Ray went on to found one of the first commercial music schools in the country and subsequently was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as a Commissioner of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal in Washington, DC. Filled with personal encounters with notable names, music industry movers and shakers, and some infamous personalities, this book will make you laugh, shake your head in disbelief, and more importantly learn what it took to lay the foundation for popular music. Baby Boomers especially will enjoy this book that will evoke feelings of nostalgia as they think back to where they were when certain songs of the early Rock and Roll era became hits. They will be fascinated by Eddie Ray's connection with the success of not only mega-stars but names they may not immediately recognize, but whose works they certainly will. Music historians will appreciate learning about Ray, another "national treasure" who can be added to the "untold stories" of influential African Americans. African Americans will be inspired by Ray's quest to open doors, courage to break racial barriers, and audacity to ignore the status quo. Even music students will find this book enjoyable as they read about the people who laid the foundation for the music business today.
About the Author: Eddie Ray is a veteran executive with over sixty years of professional experience and expertise in several facets of the U.S commercial music industry, including record distribution, promotion/sales, record production, songwriting/music publishing, artist acquisition/development, business administration, commercial music education, and federal copyright administration. He has held top level executive positions with major music entitles in Hollywood, CA; Memphis, TN; and with the Federal Government in Washington, DC. In Hollywood, Ray served as a Senior Executive with MGM Records; Capitol Records (Tower Record Division); Co-Burt Television Productions Imperial Records; and Central Record Sales Company. In Memphis, Ray served as Executive VP/GM of Cream Hi Records (Memphis Division) and President/CEO of Eddie Ray Music Enterprises. As a division of his company, he founded and operated the Tennessee College of Recording Arts and Sciences, a vocational school specializing in commercial music business education. Ray was later appointed by President Reagan and confirmed by the U.S Senate to serve as a Commissioner of the U.S Copyright Royalty Tribunal in Washington, DC. Currently Ray is Operation Director/ Vice Chairman of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in Kannapolis, NC. During his career, Ray has been directly involved in the successful careers of recording artists, songwriters, and producers such as Fats Domino, Rick Nelson, Dave Bartholomew, Slim Whitman, The Osmonds, Allen Toussaint, Lou Rawls, Hank Williams, Jr., Ernie Freeman, Mike Curb, Irma Thomas, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ian Whitcomb, Ernie K-Doe, Al Green, Pink Floyd, Mae West, Smiley Lewis, Sandy Nelson, and Johnny Rivers. As a songwriter, Ray is cowriter of the hit song, "Hearts of Stone" which became a national number one hit during the 50s. As an A&R executive, he has acquired many nationally charted records including artists Freddie & The Dreamers, Pink Floyd, Ian Whitcomb, Mike Curb's A.I.P movie sound tracks, Solomon Burke, and Jimmy Smith. Co-author Barbara Jackson Hall is a former TV news reporter, talk show host, and health magazine editor who spent two decades in the communications field. Today Hall is director of the Small Business Center at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College where she helps individuals fulfill their dream of business ownership. Her office is located in Kannapolis, NC a few blocks from the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame where she first met Eddie Ray in 2009.