Eddie Ray at Kannapolis Library Book Fair

Yesterday the Kannapolis Library held a book fair with local authors on hand to talk about their writing and answer questions from readers; many of whom have read some of these books and showed up to meet the authors. I’m one of those. I showed up for Eddie Ray, a local celebrity and somewhat of an icon in the world of music. His achievements are too long to list here, so I will simply direct you to two sites; the first the Wikipedia link to his life; and second to the home of the NC Music Hall of Fame, of which Mr. Ray is Vice Chairman. (The title doesn’t mean a thing – so let’s just say that he is the heart and soul of the place.)

Eddie’s book, “Against All Odds”, is an aptly titled and personal story of his life. I first became acquainted with Mr. Ray just after he had begun working on it about 5 years ago and was privileged to watch it grow from a few pages to the wonderful book which it became. Here are the two links;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wiley_Ray

http://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/

And here’s one more about the book itself. I like this one a lot because it has a rather prominent quote from my review and a link back to this site. (Ouch! I just hurt my back while patting it!)

http://eddieraymusicman.com/

This was not the usual type of meet the author book signing; rather it was comprised of a number of separate tables for each author to meet with readers and discuss their books with the readers in a different fashion. Instead of a long program of several hours, each author on the program above got their own space and new readers could pick and choose which ones they wanted to meet. In this way the library was able to accommodate the many local authors who wanted to attend.

Check your local libraries for these types of events. They offer a chance to meet with authors in a more relaxed setting than a book store signing. Somehow; even in this day and age; the library seems to lend them an extra level of legitimacy that cannot be found in a normal commercial environment.

Eddie Ray at Kannapolis Libray

Last evening the Kannapolis Library hosted the legendary Eddie Ray for a combination book signing and question and answer session, as well as showing a film about his life and some of his accomplishments. I say “some” because a film encompassing all that Mr. Ray has accomplished during his 6 decades in the recording industry would take a film of epic proportions to cover all the bases which he has touched. In tones ranging from whimsical to witty, Mr. Ray held the audience enraptured recounting his early years in North Carolina and his path to Los Angeles via Connecticut. If that sounds confusing you'll have to read the book...

As usual, Mr. Ray took a bit of the limelight off of himself, directing it at his current “work in progress”, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, located just a few blocks from the library in the old Kannapolis Jail house on West A Street. That little museum is a gateway to the rich and colorful history of all the varied performers to come out of our state. They represent every one of the many musical genres; from rock and roll, beach music all the way through jazz and even opera.

Eddie Ray spent so many years behind the scenes of the music industry, spotting new artists and encouraging them along the way. His name doesn't appear often on the many record jackets/CD liners of the music he was instrumental in bringing to the public’s attention, but the music you listen to today would probably be a bit different if it were not for this guy. I can’t believe I actually know him; as he colored much of the world in which I grew up with the music he chose to promote. It was a joy to see that so many people came out to meet and greet him.

His memoir, "Against All Odds" chronicles his life in the music industry; rising from the stockroom to the boardroom, and even on to Washington itself, where he served on the President's Copyright Tribunal under Ronald Reagan. You can read a review of that book here;

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2012/12/against-all-odds-by-eddie-ray-2012.html   

For more about Eddie Ray, and the NC Music Hall of Fame, please use the following links;

http://eddieraymusicman.com/

http://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/

"Against All Odds" by Eddie Ray (2012)

News Release

                                                       

Contact:  
Elyshia Brooks                                              
Kreative Group, Inc.
elyshia@ElyshiaBrooks.com
T: 800-511-5410

For Immediate Release

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—He has been called a “national treasure.”  North Carolina native, Eddie Ray, the grandson of a former slave, gives readers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the burgeoning record industry of the 1950s and early 1960s in his newly released memoir “Against All Odds—The Remarkable Life Story of Eddie Ray.” 

Ray, now in his mid-80s, started as a stock boy for Decca Records in Milwaukee, Wisconsin when he was 18 years old and eventually rose to become vice president of Capitol/Tower Records in Hollywood, California, one of the top major record companies in the U.S., the first African-American in such a decision-making role.

But prior to this top post, he was first an extraordinary record sales and promotions man whom acquaintances still describe today as having “an ear for what would sell,” and “a commercial mind.”  It was during some 60 years in the commercial music business that Ray had a significant   impact on the careers of rising stars such as Rick Nelson, Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Ernie Freeman, Mike Curb, Irma Thomas, Ernie K-Doe, Sandy Nelson, Pink Floyd, and many others.

Ray also founded one of the first commercial music schools in the country and subsequently was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as a Commissioner of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal in Washington, DC.

 

“Against All Odds—The Remarkable Life Story of Eddie Ray” takes readers on a journey from the rural foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina to the top executive suites of the dynamic music industry of the ’50s and ’60s. The book opens with a prologue dated October 3rd 2009 at the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where Ray was one of the first inductees.   He notes that the unusual venue of the ceremony is symbolic, indicative of the out-of-the-ordinary events in his life.

Readers will immediately be drawn in from the first chapter, which doesn’t start with his childhood, but a description of his life as a tapestry with people being threads woven through his experiences.  Readers will also learn about the behind-the-scenes operations of independent record companies—hundreds of them formed after World War II, opening the recording door for many artists, especially minority performers.  And most of all they will be inspired by Ray’s courage to take risks from his young life all the way through to his current years.

Robert Williams of “Rooftop Reviews” said of the book, “It was fantastic. In understated tones, he has delivered a living portrait of a time, though long gone, which still influences us until this very day. The book is all about taking chances and trusting your instincts in order to help make your dreams come true. It's the story of a family, raised in segregation, and yet still successful by virtue of hard work.”

Baby Boomers especially will enjoy this book that will evoke feelings of nostalgia as they think back to where they were when certain songs of the early Rock and Roll era became hits.  They will be fascinated by Eddie Ray’s connection with the success of mega-stars such as Fats Domino and Rick Nelson and names they may not immediately recognize, but whose works they certainly will. 

Music historians will appreciate learning about Ray who can be added to the “untold stories” of influential African Americans.  And African Americans will be inspired by his quest to open doors, courage to break racial barriers, and audacity to ignore the status quo. Even music students will find this book enjoyable as they read about the people who laid the foundation for the music business today.

“Against All Odds—The Remarkable Life Story of Eddie Ray” will inspire, inform, and immerse readers as they peer into the personal and professional experiences of his life.

This “living history” makes the book an important autobiography in that it preserves little-known facts about an industry that has had such a tremendous impact on American culture. 

“Against All Odds—The Remarkable Life Story of Eddie Ray,” written with Barbara Jackson Hall, is approximately 200 pages and available in paperback from Amazon.com.

__________________________________________

Note from RT: This is the book which I reviewed here on December 5th. You can imagine how proud I am to have been included in this release, which will be going to many of the major newspapers across the country. My original review can be viewed at the following link;  

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2012/12/against-all-odds-by-eddie-ray-2012.html

Eddie Ray - "Against All Odds"

Eddie Ray is probably one of the least known, and most humble, of all the people involved in bringing R and B, and Rock and Roll records into the mainstream media. His career has taken him from the stockroom; filling orders at Aladdin Records for Leo and Eddie Mesner; and on into the boardrooms of major record companies during the last days of Jim Crow. And, if you listen to music of any genre, Eddie Ray has had a hand in bringing many of those artists and composers who created that music, into millions of homes.

Mr. Ray was appointed by President Reagan as a U.S. Copyright Commissioner to serve on the U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal during the early 1980’s. As the technology surrounding music changed, so did the way in which the artists needed to be compensated. Mr. Ray helped create copyright regulations which provided a substantial increase in royalty fees for the Artists and composers who created the music. The aim was to be fair to the listening public, the artist and the copyright users. This has not always been easy.

I am privileged to have had the chance to ask Mr. Ray a few questions about his remarkable career, spanning almost 7 decades! You can usually find him at the NC Music Hall of Fame, located in the old jailhouse in Kannapolis, North Carolina. In addition to overseeing the activities of the Hall of Fame, and attending to various Award Ceremonies, he has found the time to pen a memoir about his extraordinary life, both on, and off, the road. The book, titled “Against All Odds” is due out shortly, and will also explore the evolution of the process by which the artists receive their fair share of the profits, as well as the challenges of staying abreast of the newer technologies. Here are the questions, posed by my alter ego “RT” for Rooftop Reviews, followed by Mr. Ray's responses;

RT. What is your first memory of music? Was it in your home, or church? And did you have a radio, Victrola or an instrument in your home?

Eddie Ray: My first memory of music was in my home and to a lesser degree in churches. We always had a radio and victrola in our home and I constantly listened to all genres of music. However, the primary genres of music that were broadcasts on radio stations that we were able to receive at that time in the mountains of NC were Big Band, Country, and what I refer to as White Gospel/Sacred music. My mother and I would also listen every Sunday morning to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir from Salt Lake City and The Wings over Jordan Choir from a Black church in Cleveland, Ohio.

RT. What were your parents like? How did their relationship with you relate to your life in reference to perseverance and self-esteem, traveling in the Jim Crow South, and later navigating the white dominated corporate world?

Eddie Ray: Neither of my parents had a formal education beyond high school but both were highly intelligent and hard workers who under a severe racial discrimination and segregation system achieved a very successful life for themselves and their family. Perhaps even more importantly, they both possessed a high esteem of themselves and maintained a strong self confidence that they could succeed in spite of the racial restrictions and negative thoughts that others may have of them. All these extremely positive attitudes that they possessed were instilled in me and my siblings and we were constantly reminded that our ultimate fate was in our hands only.

RT. Does it astound you when you think of all the lives that your career has touched, from the artists to the listener? And are you cognizant of the impact which the music you helped to present had on society, and how that has affected the world today, from music to politics?

Eddie Ray: I am often asked if I am aware of the positive impact that I may have had on the lives of others. That is something that never crossed my mind during my career. I was only concerned with doing the best job that I could with every project that I undertook. That is what my parents had instilled in me. Also, in spite of whatever success I may have achieved in any of my projects, I was still searching for the REAL purpose of my life. Although, I always enjoyed whatever project that I accepted, I thought that there must be something more important that I should be doing with my life. However, as I grew older and finally began to listen to many people that thank me for the impact that my efforts have had upon their lives, I began to realize that perhaps I had being doing what I was destined to do. Yes, I do believe that the legendary musical artists and great music and songs with which I have been associated did and will continue to have a positive impacted upon politics, racial justice and society in general. I am honored that I had a small part in bringing these artists and their music to the public, but the credit should go to these wonderful artists and songwriters, and not to me.

RT. What do you think it is about you that draws people to you? What is the magic behind Eddie Ray?

Eddie Ray: If I do possess anything special that attracts people to me, I am not aware of what it is. I am basically an introvert and rather shy, especially when I meet new people. However, I cannot explain how I was so successful as a national sales and promotion person with major radio/television disc jockeys. Also, how I was also successful as an executive in negotiating agreements with major recording artists/songwriters and their agents/attorneys and later with US Congress members and national copyright Owners/Users as a US Commissioner of Copyrights and Chairman of the US Copyright Royalty Tribunal.

RT. Finally, how do you maintain your level of interest in all that you do? How would you like to be remembered; in terms of your accomplishments; or is there something more that you hope to leave behind as a statement of who you are?

Eddie Ray: I have never been concerned about if or how I may be remembered after my death. I have always been more concerned about establishing a productive and enjoyable relationship with people while we are alive. I have even asked my family not to have a funeral for me. I want my ashes to be spread in a particular place in the peaceful, blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

For a short biography about Eddie Ray's remarkable career, please visit his Wikipedia page at; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wiley_Ray 

And for a short video which outlines some of the subjects and artists which will be covered in the book, hit this You Tube link;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghgDezvvlQ4

For more information about the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and upcoming events, go to; http://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/

The following short synopsis of the book was provided by Mr. Ray. And you can be sure that you will be reading my review here very shortly.

COMING SOON—THE REMARKABLE LIFE STORY OF EDDIE RAY, A PIONEER MUSIC MAN.
 
“An incredible journey from the racially segregated mountains of Western North Carolina as a youth; to the smoldering heat of tobacco fields as a farm laborer in Glastonbury, Connecticut; to the shipping department of Decca Records Distributing Company as a stock boy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; to a skid-row hotel room in Los Angeles, California, working as a dish washer in a sea food restaurant; to a major music company executive in Hollywood and Beverly Hills, California as well as Memphis, Tennessee; to a founder and president of the Tennessee College of Recording Arts and Sciences in Memphis, Tennessee; to a Presidential Nomination and US Senate Ratification as a United States Commissioner for Copyrights in Washington, DC; to an Induction into the Music Hall of Fame in his home State of North Carolina.”