It was in the late 1980s when Branson saw quite a number of major name country acts. Many of these performers would make Branson their home for a while. One of the finest singers to spend some time here was Ray Price.
Ray became the headline act at the Starlite Theatre (across the street from where the Toy Museum is today) opening on May 27, 1988. The theatre had been built in 1981 and for six years had been owned by Chisai Childs. She had moved to Arkansas and opened another venue allowing Ray to take over the Starlite.
Ray was known for his pop hits and country hits. When he arrived in Branson his records had numbered over 100 million in sales. The most requested song in the industry for most of the early 1970s was "For the Good Times." It would sell eleven million copies.
Ray was born Noble Ray Price on January 12, 1926, near Perryville, Texas, in Wood County. He was the son of Walter and Clara Price. His family was remembered for being early settlers to the area.
Growing up in Dallas, Ray would take up the guitar while a teenager, but his interest was in veterinary medicine. He was attending North Texas Agricultural College and then was drafted in 1944 during World War II. Joining the Marine Corps, Ray served in the South Pacific and would return to college after he was discharged.
After the war Ray began having second thoughts about a veterinary career, partly due to not being physically able to handle large animals because of his small size. It was around this time he began singing in the Abilene, Texas, area and soon he would be back in Dallas joining KRLD radio and their fine show, the Big D Jamboree.
Ray would become acquainted with Lefty Frizzell, writing songs for him which led to Nashville and gave Ray's music career an excellent boost. By 1950, he was on his way and in March 1951 he signed with Columbia Records. This relationship would last for twenty-five years. Ray's first recording was a Lefty Frizzell composition, "If You're Ever Lonely Darling."
Ray's mid-1950s recording of "Crazy Arms" was his first big hit. With its shuffle rhythm, this would become his signature sound. It was after his success with "Heartaches by the Number" that Ray decided to make a change to his sound by adding a lush string section. With assistance from Anita Kerr this was introduced on Ray's "Faith" album and would continue on many of his Columbia recordings during the 1960s. He chose to do songs at a slower tempo. Many of these orchestra arrangements would feature as many as fifty musicians. Ray felt that if the pop artists could produce that type of sound, a country artist could too.
Ray's touring band, the Cherokee Cowboys were known to have some fine musicians as well. Many would have fabulous careers on their own. Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Buddy Emmons, Van Howard and Johnny Bush would all take part in backing Ray as members of the Cherokee Cowboys.
Ray had done guest appearances in Branson as far back as the late 1970s when he did performances at Bob Mabe's new Bob-O-Links Theater (now the Clay Cooper Theatre).
Performing at his Branson theater during most of the 1990s, Ray's final Branson appearance was in 2010. He continued performing on the road and recorded through 2007. His final album "Last of the Breed" was released in March 2007 and featured Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.
Price was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2012 and would return home to his native Texas, where he passed away at age 87 on December 16, 2013 in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.
Much of his recorded material can easily be found on some impressive CD sets. We listen frequently to the Willie's Roadhouse channel on Sirius XM, where the great talents of Ray Price are daily featured
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