You’d be hard-pressed to find a country singer with a more diverse musical catalog than Ray Stevens, born on this day (Jan. 24) in 1939. From the zany novelty song “The Streak” to the Grammy-winning “Everything Is Beautiful,” the Country Music Hall of Fame artist’s career has spanned nearly seven decades. As he celebrates his 87th birthday today, we’re taking a look back at the life and career of Ray Stevens, known to many as the “Clown Prince” of country music.
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Ray Stevens Contains Multitudes
Born Harold Ray Ragsdale in Clarksdale, Georgia, Stevens has never stuck to one lane. At age 10, he asked permission to play multiple instruments in his school band. Today, his repertoire includes the piano, trumpet, keyboard, violin, fiddle, and more.
Forming an R&B band called The Barons as a high schooler, Ray Stevens was just 18 years old when he landed a deal with Capitol Records. His first single, “Silver Bracelet”, didn’t see much chart success. However, Stevens pressed on.
While still studying music at Georgia State University, he switched to Mercury Records, where he released the 1961 single “Jeremiah Peabody’s Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green And Purple Pills”. The song reached No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 and carved out Stevens’ niche: completely unserious, over-the-top novelty songs.
In January 1962, he moved with his wife and baby daughter to Nashville. About 18 days later, Stevens had recorded his first Top 10 hit, “Ahab The Arab”.
Stevens’ No. 1 Songs
Although best known for comedy, Stevens’ first chart-topping hit was actually a serious one. Released in March 1970, the gospel-tinged “Everything Is Beautiful” topped both the pop and adult contemporary charts. His next No. 1 hit, 1974’s “The Streak”, was much more on brand, inspired by a Newsweek article about a UCLA student who “streaked” (ran naked) across campus.
[RELATED: Country Legend Ray Stevens Survives Heart Attack, Out of Surgery Following Canceled Shows]
“I thought, ‘Well, that is a good idea for a song,’” Stevens later recalled. “And so I started writing it on the plane, and I got home and I finished it up, and I booked the session immediately.”
Ray Stevens is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and the Christian Music Hall of Fame. He has released 50 studio albums and owns the CabaRay Showroom in Nashville.
Featured image by Frederick Breedon IV/WireImage
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