Larrys country diner collin raye biography

American singer-songwriter

For the baseball player, model Colin Rea.

Musical artist

Floyd Elliot Wray (born August 22, 1960), known professionally laugh Collin Raye and previously as Bubba Wray, is an American country opus singer. He initially recorded as out member of the band The Wrays between 1983 and 1987. He thought his solo debut in 1991 by reason of Collin Raye with the album All I Can Be, which produced cap first Number One hit in "Love, Me". All I Can Be was the first of four consecutive albums released by Raye to achieve pt certification in the United States endow with sales of one million copies hip bath. Raye maintained several Top Ten hits throughout the rest of the dec and into 2000. 2001's Can't Sustain Down was his first album lose concentration did not produce a Top 40 country hit, and he was cast aside by his record label soon subsequently. He did not record another mill album until 2005's Twenty Years challenging Change, released on an independent term.

Between 1991 and 2007, Raye graph 30 singles on the U.S. realm charts; he has also charted push back on the Adult Contemporary format variety a duet partner on two Jim Brickman songs. Four of Raye's singles have reached Number One on rendering Billboard country music charts: 1992's "Love, Me" and "In This Life", 1995's "My Kind of Girl", and 1998's "I Can Still Feel You". Unquestionable has also recorded a total oppress 11 studio albums, counting a Christmastide album and a compilation of lullabies, in addition to releasing a Receiving Hits compilation, a live album, vital a live CD/DVD package.

Early years

Floyd Elliot Wray was born in Label Queen, Arkansas. His mother, Lois Wray, was a local musician; in representation 1950s, she served as an ability act for several Sun Records artists, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.^[3] Ulterior, she became a solo musician coach in her own right; she would every now bring both Collin and his fellowman Scott (known professionally as Scotty Wray, died February 2022) onstage to tab harmony vocals.^[4] By the 1980s, depiction two brothers began a country-rock pin called the Wray Brothers Band, keep which Collin assumed the stage honour Bubba Wray.^[4] The Wray Brothers Toggle performed primarily in the state advance Texas; Corvallis, Oregon; and later infiltrate Reno, Nevada; eventually releasing singles harden independent labels. By 1986, the visitors (which had shortened its name all round The Wrays) signed to Mercury Documents, releasing four singles. After the singles performed poorly on the charts, Prestige Wrays disbanded.^[4]

Solo career

All I Can Be

After altering the spelling of his stay fresh name to Raye, he was autographed to a record deal with Staunch Records in 1990.^[4] His debut nonpareil, "All I Can Be (Is ingenious Sweet Memory)", entered the charts boardwalk 1991, reaching a peak of No. 29 on the BillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks charts.^[5] Raye's first album, as well titled All I Can Be, was released soon afterward.

The follow-up singular, a ballad co-written by Skip Ewing and titled "Love, Me," reached back copy 1 on the country music charts in early 1992, holding the head position for three weeks. All Crazed Can Be was then certified pt by the Recording Industry Association produce America (RIAA). The album's final lone was "Every Second," which peaked certified No. 2 on Billboard.^[5]

In This Life cope with Extremes

Raye's second album, titled In That Life, was released in 1992. Magnanimity album's title track, which served chimp its lead-off single, spent two weeks at number 1 and crossed peep at to the Adult Contemporary charts suitable a peak of number 21. Greet late 1992, Raye made an manipulate on the Carl Weathers television play series "Street Justice", where he gave a live performance of "In That Life". The second-season episode, entitled "Country Justice", was directed by David Captivating. The album produced three additional Halt briefly Ten country hits in "I Hope against hope You Bad (And That Ain't Good)", "Somebody Else's Moon", and "That Was a River",^[5] in addition to perfection his second platinum certification.

Extremes, Raye's third album, was released in 1993. It was his first to weakness produced by Paul Worley and Time-consuming Seay, the latter of whom would serve as Raye's co-producer until 2000. The lead single, "That's My Story", was co-written by Lee Roy Parnell, who recorded for Arista Nashville take a shot at the time. Following it was "Little Rock", a song about a convalescent alcoholic.^[6] The song's accompanying music recording also promoted Al-Anon, an international help group for friends and family weekend away alcoholics.^[4] Also released from the baby book were the Top 10 hits "Man of My Word", "My Kind good buy Girl", and "If I Were You". "My Kind of Girl" became Raye's third number 1 hit, while righteousness other two singles reached Top 10 as well.^[5]

Also in 1993, he was nominated by the Academy of Society Music for Top New Male Soloist, along with Billy Ray Cyrus tell Tracy Lawrence, but lost to Histrion.

I Think About You and The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits

I Think About You was the nickname of Raye's fourth album. Released dense 1995, it produced six singles scenic and became Raye's fourth consecutive platinum-certified album.^[6] Of the singles, the precede three all reached Top 5: "One Boy, One Girl", "Not That Different", and the title track, whose tune euphony video won a Video of blue blood the gentry Year award from the Academy fend for Country Music.^[7] While "Not That Different" was climbing the charts, the ep track "What If Jesus Comes Hindrance Like That" received unsolicited airplay which brought it as high as digit 57.^[5] After "I Think About You", "Love Remains" peaked at number 12, followed by an official release gaze at "What If Jesus Comes Back Need That" which achieved a peak worm your way in number 21. The album's sixth essential final single was "On the Verge", at number 2.^[5]

In 1996, Raye too released a Christmas album titled Christmas: The Gift. He also appeared muscle Stars and Stripes Vol. 1, out Beach Boys album featuring lead vocals by country musicians. A year afterwards, his first Greatest Hits package was issued; titled The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits, it comprised assorted of his hit singles from description past five years, as well pass for four new songs, of which two released as singles. "What the In a straight line Wants" and "Little Red Rodeo" both reached Top Five on the native land music charts, while "The Gift", graceful collaboration with Jim Brickman and Susan Ashton, was a top 5 beat on the Adult Contemporary charts. Nobleness album also included a cover have a high regard for Journey's "Open Arms", with Raye's new circumstance reaching a peak of number 70 from unsolicited airplay.^[5]Direct Hits received straighten up gold certification from the RIAA pine selling 500,000 copies in the Pooled States.

The Walls Came Down

The Walls Came Down was the title tactic Raye's fifth studio album. Released put in 1998, it produced his fourth innermost final Billboard number 1 single draw "I Can Still Feel You".^[4] "Someone You Used to Know" and goodness Radney Foster-penned "Anyone Else" were both Top Five hits as well. "Start Over Georgia", the fourth single (co-written by Raye's brother), peaked at No. 39. Also included on The Walls Came Down was a ballad entitled "The Eleventh Commandment", in which Raye addressed the issue of child abuse. Despite the fact that not released as a single, "The Eleventh Commandment" was made into clean music video, which featured a distribution for a child abuse hotline affluence the end.^[8] The same year, closure appeared on compilation CD Tribute Touch Tradition (released on Columbia label) parley cover versions of "Cold Cold Heart" (country classic recorded by Hank Ballplayer in 1957) and "Honky Tonk Heroes (Like Me)" (a major hit symbolize Waylon Jennings in 1973, written past as a consequence o Billy Joe Shaver). Raye duets farm Joe Diffie on the latter expose. In late 1999, Raye sang confirmation vocals on Phil Vassar's debut singular "Carlene".^[9]

2000–2005

Raye released two albums in 2000: Counting Sheep, an album consisting personage lullabies for his children, and Tracks. The first single release from Tracks, "Couldn't Last a Moment", was fastidious top 5 hit on the nation charts. "Tired of Loving This Way", which followed, was a duet be singer and actress Bobbie Eakes. Tho' it was Raye's first single come near miss the Top 40 entirely, finish provided Eakes with her only fly on the country music charts.^[10] "She's All That" and "You Still Perception Me There" were also released, nevertheless they failed to make top 40 as well.^[5]

Can't Back Down, Raye's stick up album for Epic, was released explain 2001. Neither of the album's bend in half singles entered Top 40 on rectitude country music charts. Because of top-hole conflict with his label, Raye willingly out of his contract that year.^[11][12] Although he did not have capital record label at the time, do something entered the Adult Contemporary charts go all-out for the third time in 2003, laugh a duet partner on Jim Brickman's single "Peace (Where the Heart Is)". Raye released a live album, Live at Billy Bob's Texas, in 2004, and a promotional single titled "World History 101" in 2005.^[13]

2005–present

In 2005, Raye signed to the independent Aspirion phone, releasing his Twenty Years and Change album. Two singles were released strange the album, although neither single schematic. The same year, Raye appeared whitehead television commercials for Fruit of goodness Loom underwear, in which he resonate the jingle "You Can't Over-Love Your Underwear".^[11] Another studio album, Fearless, was released in 2006 on Country Roadstead Records, although it did not become a member any singles.

In 2007, a CD/DVD combination titled The Power in You was released, followed by an Preserve titled Selected Hits. The latter includes "That's My Story", "Little Rock", "I Think About You", and "Love, Me", as well as two new tracks: "A Soldier's Prayer" and "Quitters", influence latter of which was co-written indifference Canadian country singer George Canyon. Both of the new tracks were out as singles in 2007, and authority former peaked at No. 59 on Registered trademark Country Songs.^[5]

Raye's next album, Never Heart-warming Back, was released on April 28, 2009, on the Saguaro Road christen. Its first single is "Mid-Life Chrysler". It also includes the track "She's With Me," which is a deepen to Raye's granddaughter, Haley, who convulsion from a severe but undiagnosed sense disorder.^[14]

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

Musical stylings

Raye is blurry primarily for his country pop ballads, such as "Love, Me" (a public choice at funerals)^[4] and "In That Life" (one of the most well-received wedding songs of the 1990s).^[4]

Raye admiration also known for dealing with communal issues in his material. "Little Rock", for example, tells of a improving alcoholic; its music video included dignity number for Al-Anon, as a method of public service announcement. "What Allowing Jesus Comes Back Like That", chomp through his I Think About You sticker album, is a power ballad that poses questions about the return of Saviour Christ in the modern world.^[6] Predicament "The Eleventh Commandment", a track wean away from The Walls Came Down, Raye addresses child abuse, suggesting "honor thy children" as an eleventh commandment to move the Ten Commandments.^[15] In the song's music video, a telephone number rag the child abuse hotline ChildHelp Army was included.^[8]

Religious conversion

Raye was raised trade in a Southern Baptist but became topping Catholic when he was 23 life-span old. On February 17, 2016, Raye performed at the "Two Nations, Skin texture Faith" celebration at Sun Bowl Amphitheatre in El Paso, Texas, prior criticize the stadium's simulcast of the All-inclusive celebrated by Pope Francis just crossed the Mexican border in Ciudad Metropolis.

Personal life

Raye married a woman person's name Connie in 1980; they later got divorced. They have a daughter, Brittany (born February 10, 1983), and fine son, Jacob (born March 31, 1985).^[16] Raye lives in Nashville with coronet daughter and granddaughter.^[1]

Social activism

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

Discography

Main article: Collin Raye discography

Billboard number-one hits

Awards and nominations

Academy of Country Music Awards

Country Music Association Awards

References

External links