"GO ON BABY AND CRY": A birthday tribute to Johnnie Ray
Shout-out for a nearly forgotten pop music pioneer + A Monkees subplot
On a stage, Johnnie Ray was like a punk rocker in a lounge singer's body. His vocal style crossed Billie Holiday-jazz-vocalese with blues and pop standards, foreshadowing rock'n'roll and modern r'n'b. He was practically deaf, and some say that prompted his loud vocal delivery, as he threw his entire body into the notes with over-the-top emotion.
Born in Oregon, he was a singer-songwriter and pianist who developed his animated style in small African American nightclubs in Detroit. That’s where he was discovered in 1949 and signed to Okeh Records (the R&B subsidiary of Columbia). His star rose fast, netting him roles in feature films, and Tony Bennett called Ray “the father of rock’n’roll” as he generated teen hysteria well before Elvis Presley. Today Ray is cited as an influence on artists ranging from Leonard Cohen to Morrissey.
Ray had several hits in his early career (he wrote “The Little White Cloud That Cried”), but “Cry” became his signature work, becoming an international chartbuster when it debuted in 1951.
In Ray’s original vocal-heavy arrangement with The Four Lads, the arching chord progression is relatively straightforward, suitable for country, jazz, or pop renditions. The progression repeats two times (no bridge) and builds to a passionate outburst, taking us from a broken heart to a bittersweet climax. Letting the tears flow leads us to a healing revelation, to finding “the light behind the cloudy skies.”
Produced by Mitch Miller, Ray’s single lodged in the US charts for three months. “Cry” has been remade countless times and it was a repeat hit with Ronnie Dove (1966), Lynn Anderson (1972), and Crystal Gayle (1986), but no one has taken ownership from Ray’s heart-wrenching delivery of “Cry.”
His 1952 JOHNNIE RAY debut LP on Columbia Records stayed in the charts for four months. It featured the single “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home” as well as sturdy covers of “cowboy songs.” After a string of sell-out concerts and hit TV appearances, he turned in an admirable performance as an actor in the major motion picture THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS with Ethel Mermen and Marilyn Monroe.
However, due to a variety of factors, Ray’s star faded in America and he was dropped by Columbia in 1960. Fortunately, he continued to draw audiences in Australia, England, and in Europe. Then his American career rebounded in the 1980s. In this clip, you can hear he still had the power, singing “Cry” in the same key of C he did as a younger man:
He passed away in 1990 (age 63).
For many years I worked with Davy Jones (of The Monkees), and Davy he was a big fan of Ray. Davy met Ray in the 1970s, saying, “It was when Ray was in a career slump, playing with a pick-up band in a dingey Manhattan nightclub. The band kept trying to put funk into the songs, but it wasn’t working. It was kind of sad, but at least I got to meet him.”
Davy wanted to produce a musical about Ray, and in 2008 Davy and I sat and studied stacks of Johnnie Ray videos and took notes. We also interviewed first-wave fans of Ray who’d seen him in the 1950s and got his autograph.
In an obvious move, Davy remade “Cry” for his 2009 SHE album, and his “Cry” cover is the star of the album—a recording with that mystique that comes when lyrical intent, sounds, and raw feelings push into a timeless realm. The stunning orchestrations by Chris Andrews and Skip Kline blend perfectly with Davy's powerful vocal--arguably one of the strongest in his career. 12 years later I revisited the track to make this video.
Suddenly, waves of emotion came over me, then I cried for 2 days. Then I felt better, just like the song promised.
In 2023 I added “Cry” to the set list I perform in assisted living homes (demographically it folds right in). In a nearly Pavlovian response, I cry when I perform it. Perhaps it’s the waves of emotional and spiritual invested in “Cry,” washing through me and reminding me of the lives who’ve been reached by one little song. HB JR, and thank you for your voice and expression
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