On This Day in 2023, We Lost the Jean Shepard Duet Partner and Opry Mainstay Who Notched a String of Hits in the 60s Before Working Behind the Scenes in Music City

On this day (March 26) in 2023, Ray Pillow died in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 85. He found success on the country charts in the 1960s and spent more than 50 years as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Later in his career, he worked behind the scenes as an A&R agent before starting his own label.

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Pillow was born and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia. Unlike many country stars, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave his hometown for the bright lights of Nashville. Instead, he served in the United States Navy and earned a business degree from Lynchburg College before kicking off his music career, according to Music Row. However, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t honing his skills and performing before he made the big move.

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He was a regular on local radio and TV programs before he chose to relocate to Nashville. In the early 1960s, he made the journey to compete in the Pet Milk Talent Contest. While he didn’t win, his performance helped him get his foot in the door. Then, in 1964, he inked a deal with Capitol Records, where he released a series of moderately successful singles.

Ray Pillow’s Recording Career

Pillow made his recording debut with “Take Your Hands Off My Heart,” which peaked at No. 49 on the country chart in 1965. Later that year, he released “Thank You Ma’am,” which reached No. 17. He had several more top 40 country hits over the next few years. “Common Colds and Broken Hearts,” “Reconsider Me,” and “Volkswagen” kept him in the public eye.

His most successful single, though, was “I’ll Take the Dog,” a 1966 duet with Jean Shepard. The song peaked at No. 9, giving Pillow his only top 10 hit.

That year, he joined the Grand Ole Opry. He performed on the show’s hallowed stage for more than 50 years before he retired in 2018.

Pillow released 11 albums between 1965 and 2017.

His Work Behind the Scenes

According to AllMusic, Ray Pillow’s behind-the-scenes work in Nashville began in the mid 1960s. He worked with Joe Taylor Artist Management, Shoji Music Publications, and Ming Music. Then, in the 1980s, he and Larry McFadden formed Sycamore Valley Music, a publishing company that notably managed Lee Greenwood’s catalog. Then, in the 1990s, he joined the team at Liberty Records as an A&R executive. There, the screened songs for the label’s artists.

Featured Image by David Redfern/Redferns