Born on This Day in 1944, the Trailblazing Buck Owens Protege Who Dominated the Country Charts in the 1970s

On this day (October 8) in 1944, Susan Raye was born in Eugene, Oregon. After singing with a rock band in high school, Raye transitioned to country music and became a mainstay on her local radio station. Later, she met Buck Owens, who took her under his wing and helped her find country success. She became the first successful female country singer to record outside the Nashville system.

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According to a biography of Raye, she auditioned to perform on her local radio station, KWAY, in 1961. She landed the gig and performed regularly on the country station. Later, she landed a job as a disc jockey. After gaining popularity as a radio personality, she became the host of a Portland, Oregon-based TV show called Hoedown.

[RELATED: Country Archives, 1966: Buck Owens Brings the Biggest Hit of His Career to a National TV Audience]

Raye didn’t limit her performances to the radio and television. She also sang in local clubs. This is where she met Jack McFadden, who managed Buck Owens at the time. McFadden was so impressed by her vocal skills that he talked Owens into flying her from Oregon to Bakersfield, California, for an audition. Owens liked what he heard and added her to his tour in 1968.

Susan Raye Finds Country Success

Not long after connecting with Buck Owens, Susan Raye began recording. She released her debut single, “Maybe If I Close My Eyes (It’ll Go Away),” in 1969. Later that year, she found her first top 40 hit with her rendition of “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.” Jackie DeShannon co-wrote and released the original version of the song in the summer of 1969. It was an international hit. Ray saw similar success with the song. It peaked at No. 30 on the country chart.

The next year, Raye began a nine-year run as a regular on the hit variety show Hee Haw. Owens co-hosted the show with Roy Clark.

Raye released several hits throughout the early 1970s. “Willy Jones,” her first top 10 hit, came in 1970. Then, she released songs like “L.A. International Airport,” “(I’ve Got a) Happy Heart,” “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own,” and “Whatcha Gonna Do with a Dog Like That,” all of which were top 10 hits.

Susan Raye and Buck Owens also recorded four studio albums together. They had several top 40 hits, including “We’re Gonna Get Together” and “Love Is Strange” in the 1970s. Their biggest hit came in 1970 when “The Great White Horse” peaked at No. 8 on the country chart.

Ray released her final album, There and Back, in 1984 and retired four years later.

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