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Don Ray
After releasing 4 albums in the Roots Rock and Blues genres that received generous radio airplay, Don Ray reaches back to his Country roots to release his first Americana Country album, Band of Gypsies.
The album pays tribute to his late steel guitar playing father by featuring steel guitarist Tony Paoletta throughout each song. Don says of the album, “The steel guitar is really the reason for the entire album.” “It takes me back to my first musical memories.” Continuing, “My dad and Tony actually shared the stage once when Tony and I were in the band Silver Creek back in the 80s.”
Don is also joined by Musicians Hall Of Fame guitarist Will McFarlane on both acoustic and electric guitars. This is the second album they have performed on together. Will also Co-Produced the Don Ray Band album, Full Throttle.
Once again Don invited his friend, the former lead singer of Little Feat, Ms. Shaun Murphy to sing together on the duet We Should Have Met. This is the 2nd duet for the pair.
As with his two previous albums, Band of Gypsies was recorded in the Muscle Shoals area by Grammy award winning engineer, Jimmy Nutt, at his NuttHouse studio in Sheffield.
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Don Ray was born into a musical family in Sioux City, IA. He got his first drum kit at age 4 and began playing drums in his Dad’s band at the age of 10. He left the Midwest for Austin, TX. at age 18. Don played drums and sang for several regionally successful Texas bands until landing the gig with Texas Legend, Fiddlin’ Frenchie Burke.Don performed with Frenchie throughout the mid 80s. Don’s first break as a solo artist came when a project he was working on was produced by keyboardist Reese Wynans ( Stevie Ray Vaughan ). The first version of Don Ray Band came in Austin as well and included former Asleep At The Wheel musicians Danny Levin on keyboards and Bill Mabry on fiddle.
Moving to Nashville at age 26 to pursue a songwriting career, he was soon a staff writer for Square One Publishing on Music Row. He started the second version of Don Ray Band with hit songwriters, Monty Holmes, Don Sampson and Curt Ryle. A few of the co-songwriter credits Don has are with hit songwriters Randy Travis, Monty Holmes, Curt Ryle, Kent Blazey and Buck Moore. Don has songs in the publishing catalogs of Square One, Universal Music, Sony/ATV, Warner Tamerlane, PeerMusic III, Minnetonka Music and Malaco Music.