Dave Ray, 59; Influential '60s Folk-Blues Singer, Guitarist -- Rest in Peace

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, [6], 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

Subject: Dave Ray, 59; Influential '60s Folk-Blues Singer, Guitarist

Author:
Minneapolis

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: December 01, 2002 1:46:02 EDT

Dave Ray, an influential figure of the folk-blues scene of the 1960s who won quiet renown for his virtuoso six- and 12-string guitar work, has died. He was 59.

Ray died Thursday at his home in Minneapolis, said John Koerner, his onetime band partner. Ray had been diagnosed with lung cancer in May.

Ray and Koerner, plus harmonica player Tony Glover, met through a Minneapolis folk club in the late 1950s. They formed the acoustic trio Koerner, Ray and Glover in 1962, and the next year released the landmark "Blues, Rags & Hollers" album.

They recorded several albums of rough country blues and performed at folk festivals around the country.

But though they never achieved more than cult status, they influenced such legends as the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt and Beck.

As a young man, Dylan had listened to records at Ray's house and traveled in the same circles. "Every time they play, the lights shine," wrote Dylan when the trio released their "One Foot in the Groove" album in 1996.

Beck, who had Ray and Glover open for him in the Twin Cities some years ago, said of the trio: "They seem to be ... the only people from that folk-revival period who would just completely play their music with abandon. They were just so raucous."

Koerner, Ray & Glover parted ways in the late 1960s, but periodically reunited over the years and also recorded individual albums. In recent years, some of their earlier works, including "Blues, Rags & Hollers," have been reissued on CD.

Ray carved out a cultish solo career. He engineered Raitt's first album.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]