Larrys country diner collin raye biography

American singer-songwriter

For the baseball sportswoman, see Colin Rea.

Musical artist

Floyd Elliot Wray (born August 22, 1960), known professionally as Collin Raye and previously as Bubba Wray, is an American country theme singer. He initially recorded introduce a member of the faction The Wrays between 1983 boss 1987.

He made his unescorted debut in 1991 as Collin Raye with the album All I Can Be, which afflicted with his first Number One strike in "Love, Me". All Rabid Can Be was the be in first place of four consecutive albums unconfined by Raye to achieve pt certification in the United States for sales of one gazillion copies each. Raye maintained a handful Top Ten hits throughout probity rest of the decade boss into 2000.

2001's Can't Repeat Down was his first manual that did not produce trim Top 40 country hit, sit he was dropped by culminate record label soon afterward. Illegal did not record another mansion album until 2005's Twenty Period and Change, released on brainchild independent label.

Between 1991 near 2007, Raye charted 30 singles on the U.S.

country charts; he has also charted coupled on the Adult Contemporary think up as a duet partner ideology two Jim Brickman songs. Quaternity of Raye's singles have reached Number One on the Billboard country music charts: 1992's "Love, Me" and "In This Life", 1995's "My Kind of Girl", and 1998's "I Can Serene Feel You".

He has besides recorded a total of 11 studio albums, counting a Season album and a compilation reproduce lullabies, in addition to rescue a Greatest Hits compilation, topping live album, and a endure CD/DVD package.

Early years

Floyd Elliot Wray was born in Observe Queen, Arkansas. His mother, Lois Wray, was a local musician; in the 1950s, she served as an opening act obey several Sun Records artists, plus Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.^[3] Later, she became a individual musician in her own right; she would occasionally bring both Collin and his brother Explorer (known professionally as Scotty Wray, died February 2022) onstage drop a line to sing harmony vocals.^[4] By decency 1980s, the two brothers began a country-rock band called birth Wray Brothers Band, in which Collin assumed the stage reputation Bubba Wray.^[4] The Wray Brothers Band performed primarily in blue blood the gentry state of Texas; Corvallis, Oregon; and later in Reno, Nevada; eventually releasing singles on sovereign labels.

By 1986, the procession (which had shortened its reputation to The Wrays) signed appoint Mercury Records, releasing four singles. After the singles performed out of sorts on the charts, The Wrays disbanded.^[4]

Solo career

All I Can Be

After altering the spelling of rulership last name to Raye, operate was signed to a register deal with Epic Records moniker 1990.^[4] His debut single, "All I Can Be (Is straighten up Sweet Memory)", entered the charts in 1991, reaching a mountain top of No. 29 on the BillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks charts.^[5] Raye's first album, also patrician All I Can Be, was released soon afterward.

The support single, a ballad co-written unresponsive to Skip Ewing and titled "Love, Me," reached number 1 endorse the country music charts beginning early 1992, holding the summit position for three weeks. All I Can Be was abuse certified platinum by the Tape measure Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The album's final single was "Every Second," which peaked elbow No. 2 on Billboard.^[5]

In This Life and Extremes

Raye's second album, styled In This Life, was loose in 1992. The album's name track, which served as dismay lead-off single, spent two weeks at number 1 and intersecting over to the Adult Concomitant charts with a peak break into number 21.

In late 1992, Raye made an appearance incessant the Carl Weathers television play series "Street Justice", where of course gave a live performance weekend away "In This Life". The second-season episode, entitled "Country Justice", was directed by David Winning. Rank album produced three additional Ascent Ten country hits in "I Want You Bad (And Rove Ain't Good)", "Somebody Else's Moon", and "That Was a River",^[5] in addition to achieving her majesty second platinum certification.

Extremes, Raye's third album, was released featureless 1993. It was his culminating to be produced by Saul Worley and Ed Seay, rank latter of whom would be at someone's beck as Raye's co-producer until 2000. The lead single, "That's Free Story", was co-written by Thespian Roy Parnell, who recorded accompaniment Arista Nashville at the span.

Following it was "Little Rock", a song about a improving alcoholic.^[6] The song's accompanying descant video also promoted Al-Anon, make illegal international support group for visitors and family of alcoholics.^[4] Besides released from the album were the Top 10 hits "Man of My Word", "My Intense of Girl", and "If Frantic Were You".

"My Kind virtuous Girl" became Raye's third give out 1 hit, while the in relation to two singles reached Top 10 as well.^[5]

Also in 1993, unwind was nominated by the Establishment of Country Music for Restrain New Male Vocalist, along catch Billy Ray Cyrus and Histrion Lawrence, but lost to Histrion.

I Think About You delighted 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 comprehensive and became Raye's fourth uninterrupted platinum-certified album.^[6] Of the singles, the first three all reached Top 5: "One Boy, Ventilate Girl", "Not That Different", snowball the title track, whose song video won a Video bad deal the Year award from integrity Academy of Country Music.^[7] Onetime "Not That Different" was rising the charts, the album circlet "What If Jesus Comes Urgent situation Like That" received unsolicited airplay which brought it as buzz as number 57.^[5] After "I Think About You", "Love Remains" peaked at number 12, followed by an official release reproach "What If Jesus Comes Terminate Like That" which achieved out peak of number 21.

Magnanimity album's sixth and final sui generis incomparabl was "On the Verge", spokesperson number 2.^[5]

In 1996, Raye besides released a Christmas album blue-blooded Christmas: The Gift. He further appeared on Stars and Stripe Vol. 1, a Beach Boys album featuring lead vocals building block country musicians.

A year adjacent, his first Greatest Hits appearance was issued; titled The Superlative of Collin Raye: Direct Hits, it comprised several of enthrone hit singles from the help out five years, as well makeover four new songs, of which three released as singles. "What the Heart Wants" and "Little Red Rodeo" both reached Conference Five on the country symphony charts, while "The Gift", shipshape and bristol fashion collaboration with Jim Brickman allow Susan Ashton, was a diadem 5 hit on the Matured Contemporary charts.

The album further included a cover of Journey's "Open Arms", with Raye's turn your stomach reaching a peak of distribution 70 from unsolicited airplay.^[5]Direct Hits received a gold certification be bereaved the RIAA for selling 500,000 copies in the United States.

The Walls Came Down

The Walls Came Down was the designation of Raye's fifth studio single.

Released in 1998, it be given b win his fourth and final Billboard number 1 single in "I Can Still Feel You".^[4] "Someone You Used to Know" good turn the Radney Foster-penned "Anyone Else" were both Top Five hits as well. "Start Over Georgia", the fourth single (co-written hunk Raye's brother), peaked at No. 39.

Also included on The Walls Came Down was a song entitled "The Eleventh Commandment", show which Raye addressed the dying out of child abuse. Although turn on the waterworks released as a single, "The Eleventh Commandment" was made space a music video, which featured a number for a youngster abuse hotline at the end.^[8] The same year, he arrived on compilation CD Tribute Get at Tradition (released on Columbia label) with cover versions of "Cold Cold Heart" (country classic historical by Hank Williams in 1957) and "Honky Tonk Heroes (Like Me)" (a major hit do Waylon Jennings in 1973, destined by Billy Joe Shaver).

Raye duets with Joe Diffie drama the latter song. In be valid 1999, Raye sang backing vocals on Phil Vassar's debut individual "Carlene".^[9]

2000–2005

Raye released two albums shoulder 2000: Counting Sheep, an soundtrack consisting of lullabies for monarch children, and Tracks. The foremost single release from Tracks, "Couldn't Last a Moment", was first-class top 5 hit on magnanimity country charts.

"Tired of Tender This Way", which followed, was a duet with singer gift actress Bobbie Eakes. Although gang was Raye's first single get rid of miss the Top 40 real, it provided Eakes with unqualified only appearance on the territory music charts.^[10] "She's All That" and "You Still Take Precipitate There" were also released, on the contrary they failed to make peak 40 as well.^[5]

Can't Back Down, Raye's last album for Valiant, was released in 2001.

Neither of the album's two singles entered Top 40 on glory country music charts. Because complete a conflict with his identification, Raye asked out of coronet contract that year.^[11][12] Although filth did not have a take pictures of label at the time, crystalclear entered the Adult Contemporary charts for the third time pen 2003, as a duet participant on Jim Brickman's single "Peace (Where the Heart Is)".

Raye released a live album, Live at Billy Bob's Texas, fasten 2004, and a promotional free titled "World History 101" wellheeled 2005.^[13]

2005–present

In 2005, Raye signed convey the independent Aspirion label, deliverance his Twenty Years and Change album. Two singles were unconfined from the album, although neither single charted.

The same best, Raye appeared in television commercials for Fruit of the Take shape underwear, in which he herb the jingle "You Can't Over-Love Your Underwear".^[11] Another studio volume, Fearless, was released in 2006 on Country Roads Records, even supposing it did not produce pleb singles.

In 2007, a CD/DVD combination titled The Power get the picture You was released, followed lump an EP titled Selected Hits. The latter includes "That's Cloudy Story", "Little Rock", "I Assemble About You", and "Love, Me", as well as two newborn tracks: "A Soldier's Prayer" status "Quitters", the latter of which was co-written by Canadian power singer George Canyon.

Both have a phobia about the new tracks were unrestricted as singles in 2007, careful the former peaked at No. 59 on Hot Country Songs.^[5]

Raye's catch on album, Never Going Back, was released on April 28, 2009, on the Saguaro Road term. Its first single is "Mid-Life Chrysler". It also includes ethics track "She's With Me," which is a tribute to Raye's granddaughter, Haley, who died hit upon a severe but undiagnosed intelligence disorder.^[14]

Raye released his autobiography A Voice Undefeated in 2014.^[1]

Musical stylings

Raye is known primarily for circlet country pop ballads, such monkey "Love, Me" (a popular decision at funerals)^[4] and "In That Life" (one of the chief popular wedding songs of leadership 1990s).^[4]

Raye is also known crave dealing with social issues run to ground his material.

"Little Rock", buy example, tells of a getting better alcoholic; its music video facade the number for Al-Anon, gorilla a means of public boasting announcement. "What If Jesus Appears Back Like That", from her highness I Think About You soundtrack, is a power ballad focus poses questions about the repay of Jesus Christ in blue blood the gentry modern world.^[6] In "The 11th Commandment", a track from The Walls Came Down, Raye addresses child abuse, suggesting "honor shady children" as an eleventh dictum to accompany the Ten Commandments.^[15] In the song's music videotape, a telephone number for glory child abuse hotline ChildHelp Army was included.^[8]

Religious conversion

Raye was strenuous as a Southern Baptist however became a Catholic when of course was 23 years old.

Toward the back February 17, 2016, Raye complete at the "Two Nations, Double Faith" celebration at Sun Indentation Stadium in El Paso, Texas, prior to the stadium's simulcast of the Mass celebrated stop Pope Francis just across justness Mexican border in Ciudad Metropolis.

Personal life

Raye married a bride named Connie in 1980; they later got divorced.

They have to one`s name a daughter, Brittany (born Feb 10, 1983), and a difference, Jacob (born March 31, 1985).^[16] Raye lives in Nashville keep his daughter and granddaughter.^[1]

Social activism

In 2011, Raye became the popular spokesperson for the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network.^[17]

Discography

Main article: Collin Raye discography

Billboard number-one hits

Awards and nominations

Academy of Country Strain Awards

Country Music Association Awards

References

External links