On This Day in 2016, We Said Goodbye to the Underrated Songbird Behind Over 2,500 Songs—Including Hits From Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, and Loretta Lynn

On this day in 2016, Canadian singer-songwriter Ray Griff, who had over 2,000 songs to his name, passed away from pneumonia following a surgery. He was 75.

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A Vancouver, Canada native, Griff moved to Nashville in 1964 to pursue music full-time. At the age of seven, he had written his very first song. He would later become inspired by songwriters like Irving Berlin and Cindy Walker.

In 1965, Ray formed a publishing company, Blue Echo Music, with Carla Scarborough, where he acted as a songwriter and song plugger. During his time there, Ray wrote songs for several artists. For two years in a row, Blue Echo even held the title of number one independent music publisher in Nashville.

It wasn’t long before Ray had his first Billboard chart-climber with “Patches,” a remake of Clarence Carter’s soul song. In 1975, he was at Capitol Records, where he went on to have eight Top 40 country hits.

In 1973, Ray’s secretary, Jean, talked to Country Song Roundup about Ray’s dedication to his craft. “I was impressed by Ray’s sincerity and very obvious love for the work he was doing,” she shared. “He was very much the businessman; this was not a game he was playing.”

Ray Griff Was Obsessively “Dedicated” to His Craft

Throughout his career, Ray would write and publish 2,000 songs, about 700 of which were recorded by artists. He would also go on to win 16 ASCAP awards and be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989.

Some of the most notable artists Ray wrote for included George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Wayne Newton, Dolly Parton, Ray Price, Charlie Pride, Del Reeves, Jim Reeves, Marty Robbins, Carl Smith, Hank Snow, Mel Tillis, and Conway Twitty, just to name a few.

In 2008, he was also the first songwriter to receive the SOCAN Lifetime Achievement Award.

In a 1974 article about Ray, Arlo Fischer would describe the songwriter through things he had heard about him. “The explosive performer, the hard drivin’, never stoppin’ workaholic,” he wrote. “Ray Griff [was] dedicated to the industry to the point of obsession.”

But ultimately, Fischer would conclude that Ray had “directed all his energies to reversing the obstacles in his way and making them work for him.” He wrote, “And believe me, they have.”

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