Merrol Ray- Guitar and Vocals
The Regulators
Jason Pruett- Drums and Vocals
Jeremy Lee- Bass and Vocals
Cade White- Guitar and Vocals
Influences
Creedence Clearwater Revival/Buddy Holly/Buck Owens/Elvis Presley/Evil Knievel/Kiss/Hank Williams J.R/AC-DC/The Cars/Ozzy Osbourne/Van Halen/Bob Seger/Led Zeppelin/Jimi Hendrix/ZZ Top/Aerosmith/Black Sabbath/Motley Crue/Pink Floyd/Georgia Satellites/Dwight Yoakam/John Anderson/Merle Haggard/Alabama/Stevie Ray Vaughn/Lynyrd Skynyrd/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers/Chris Isaak/Charlie Robison/Deryl Dodd/Radney Foster/Willie Nelson/Robert Earl Keen/Bugs Henderson/Mike Morgan and The Crawl/Johnny Winter/80's Metal/H.R. Willie/Gary Huggins/Aaron Capps/Bronc Groves/Mike Benningfield/Dan Baird/Michael Oneal/Steve Rhian/Chris Knight/D.R. Bob & Bill W./Mom & Dad/Jesus/8th St. Group/my bloodsugar & many mind altering substances I no longer depend on.
Sounds Like
Word on the Street!
Badass album dude... Seriously! Shayne Hollinger / Mandatory FM
Merrol Ray has tapped directly into the southern psyche with "Stanley" A CD full of gems by a man destined for greatness. Jerry Clayton- Producer / Soundcheck Texas
Merrol Ray has one of those unmistakable voices a person just doesn't forget. That voice is featured on his first solo record "Stanley." Perhaps best known for his time with band Miles From Nowhere, Ray now plays under his own name along with his "awesome" band, The Regulators.Krista Goerte / The Paris News
Perhaps the most intriguing set of the night will come courtesy of one Merrol Ray. Ray was the lead singer for Miles From Nowhere, the 2006 winner of the Shiner Rising Star award. It seems as though things are going all right for Ray after his former band’s break-up, since requests for his single, “Dancin’ Hard”, have been lighting up the phones at KHYI 95.3 for a few weeks now. Judging from that song, it seems as though Ray has kept the chugging, hard charging vibe that made MFN such a great band.The Gobbler's Knob
Merrol Ray is a tall glass of country. He is talented and troubled (unfortunately, most of us are simply the latter.) He is also earnest to a fault. All of these characteristics shine through in his debut solo release Stanley. Ray uses these 10 tracks to paint a picture of life in (far) Northeast Texas. It’s authentic, blue-collar, hard-working, my-grandpa-picked-cotton-by-hand-while-yours-was-in-law-school country music and, if you pick up a copy of Stanley, you’ll understand and appreciate where Ray is coming from. And, you’ll become a fan.-Joshua Jones
KHYI
Merrol Ray is former front-man for Miles From Nowhere, His solo debut, Stanley is filled with a strong vocal presence, and he does a good job on sincere, but somewhat derivative outlaw country rock: I'm bad, badder than you kinda music. Tom Geddie-Buddy Magazine
Merrol Ray is the Kid Rock of Paris Texas! Chad Coursey
This dude (Merrol Ray) is a killer! Coach Joe Avezzano
Small towns and blue collars have given rise to more aspiring songwriters than space or time allows most of us to explore. But when it comes to sifting through the various offerings, what speaks to most fans is music that is honest, gut-wrenching, born of highs and lows revealing a real-world understanding.
Merrol Ray is one of those Texas voices and personalities so flavored by his past that most folks have at least heard of him before they hear him sing. His name is synonymous with northeast Texas music – so much so that most everyone refers to him by both his first and last moniker. It’s not just “Merrol” – it’s Merrol Ray.
As Texas clichés go about those born and bred here, Merrol is larger than life with a voice that bellows a soothing but captivating tone. “I used to go in where Merrol Ray used to work, and you could always hear him from anywhere in the store,” says friend and fellow musician Wendy McNeal. His voice is unmistakable.
That voice finds its inspiration in mainly rock and southern rock, a little punk and metal from his “awareness” teen years in the early-to-mid 1980s, plus honest (did I use that word again?) Americana country. Merrol’s “desert island” CD list includes Zeppelin, Skynyrd, and Chris Knight.
“I used to sit and listen to my mother’s records, like Buddy Holly and the Buck Owens Christmas albums. I distinctly remember studying Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Cosmos Factory’ album cover dreamin’ of those guitars and amps and how cool it all was. I couldn’t have been more than five-years-old,” Merrol says.
Of his influences (dead or alive), Merrol Ray would most like to play with Hendrix and write with David Gilmour. “ ‘Time’ by Pink Floyd is probably the greatest song ever written. The way it builds is genius and the meaning of the song hits home, I don’t care who you are.”
Having recorded or shared the stage with Dan Baird (Georgia Satellites), Shooter Jennings and Pure Prairie League to name a few, Merrol said the band he played with that rubbed off on him the most was Back Porch Mary. “They’re just bad, man. You gotta see ‘em live!”
Blossom, Texas, in the late 1970s to mid 80s was little more than a stoplight, hardware store, open-air produce market and a school. But his experiences growing up there, son and descendant of a “long line of feedmill workers” (as he recounts on “Bloodline”) made him who he is today.
“There wasn’t much else to do except during sports season. And if somebody was a musician or even had a guitar, Blossom was so small you knew about it. Even though I did like most kids and couldn’t wait to leave, it’s such a part of who I am I can’t deny it,” he said. “I don’t want to.”
No doubt the neighbors had fodder to talk about across the backyard fence as Merrol Ray grew up, as the autobiographical song “Dancin’ Hard” illustrates:
I made a lot of trouble when I was young. Momma didn’t know all the things I’d done. All the townfolk said that boy he’s a card. But my momma knew I was dancin’ hard.
As founding member of the band “Miles from Nowhere” – winner of the 2006 Shiner (Beer) Records Rising Star Contest – Merrol Ray toured and found regional and state-wide recognition for his music. With Merrol, the band recorded in Nashville for Palo Duro Records and the song “Bloodline” saw elevation on the Texas Music Charts and was featured on a Stubb’s BBQ compilation. The album made it to number 5 on the now defunct XM X-Country chart where “When I Get Mean” got lots of airtime.
But like lots of stories from the road, creative differences within the band and a personal battle with illegal substances collided to force Merrol Ray to play a hand he didn’t want to. Battling addiction most of his adult life and struggling to stay sober meant a hard choice, so he left the band for a solo effort and some time to write and create his way.
“I mainly just grew tired of the hard work and dedication to getting high all the time, losing everything I owned, everyone I loved, and not having a thing to show for it all,” Merrol said. “It’ll get you in the end, especially if you’re a full blown addict, like me. It’s like playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded revolver just hoping the round you squeeze off is a dud.”
The scales of justice tattoo on his arm, with the intitials “N.A” for Narcotics Anonymous, are a constant reminder of his battle. But these days, Merrol’s battle includes partners on his side: God, family and recovery.
He says the creative freedom on his current solo project is great and together with co-producer Chris Lancaster (Treehouse Records in Paris, Texas), Merrol is expecting “heart and soul, blood, sweat and tears” to emanate from the upcoming “Stanley” release. “It’s raw and exposed,” Merrol said.
The long road of creativity and recovery has taken some twists and turns, some unexpected, but Merrol Ray is upbeat about the current mileage.
“I like me now and I figure maybe others will, too.”
~ Allan Hubbard
Booking:
You are more than welcome, (Rock N Roll Royalty saying that). The promo packs are going out today, I waited on purpose to get them past the Christmas package mailings, so they wouldn't get lost in U.S.P.S. cracks. Anyway, i think they look good, and hope the agency does, too. I made an extra copy for you, just so you will have it.
Love the site and the music. I think it's great you doing Toys for Kids concerts! This may give away my age but I went to a Toys for Kids concert when I was a young teenager growing up in Dallas. One of the unknown bands was called REO Speedwagon :)
Hi everybody, just here to say our new RORY GALLAGHER HAWK BOOSTER is ready for shipping. Have a listen if you get a chance, All the best, Stevie Flynn.
why don't u have a playlist of some of ur songs on ur main page....i want 2 hear "stanley" (the song)...i knew that man and i want to here the song... his daughter told me bout it...
Congrats on bubbling! Hated to miss you Saturday night, but it was "Cousins Reunion" weekend, something my brothers and cousins and their spouses have done for a couple of decades now.
