Rockabilly wild man Ray Campi recorded several classic singles during the music's prime era, and later staged a comeback that earned him a substantial cult audience over the 70's and 80's. Campi was born in New York City in 1934 and moved with his family to Austin, Texas at age 10. He started listening to country music, learned to play the standard and lap steel guitar and formed his first band in high school which led to his own weekly radio programs in Austin (KNOW) and Taylor (KTAE), Texas. The band was called Ramblin' Ray and the Ramblers. He recorded six songs with this group in 1951, but it wasn't until 1956 when he cut the single "Caterpillar" backed with "Play It Cool" for San Antonio's small TNT label that any of his recordings were released. These early efforts were finally also released in Sweden on Enviken Records in 2003.
A sucessful New York City publisher Hal Fein of Roosevelt Music heard this record and contacted Ray, showing interest in his songwriting. This led to a Dot Record in 1957 "It Ain't Me" backed with "Give That Love To Me". Fein also got Jim Lowe to record "The Crossing" on Dot.
Not having monetary sucess for these efforts, Ray completed a promotion tour, returned to Austin and hooked up with a new Austin label, Domino , which had regional sucess with The Slades' "You Cheated". Ray wrote "You Gambled" for them and got to do a 45, "With You" backed with "My Screamin' Screamin" Mimi" for Domino. Recently it was re-issued by Ace Records of UK.
With the unexpected death of The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, Ray's musician and DJ friend Jerry Green suggested they write and record a tribute record which led to D Records releasing "The Man I Met" and "The Ballad Of Donna And Peggy Sue" in 1959, the same year that Ray left Austin to try his luck in Hollywood.
He soon met a Colpix Records promotion man who introduced him to producer and musician Perry (Bunny) Botkin Jr . who with Gilbert Garfield were completing a contract with Verve Records. Ray was invited to sing with them on their last Verve offering which was released with a new name, "The McCoy Boys" and the songs were "Our Man In Havana" (written for the Columbia film but rejected) and "Reprieve Of Love". Botkin liked Ray's singing and a year later arranged a session where "Hear What I Wanna Hear" and "French Fries" were put to tape at Gold Star Recording Studio . The Colpix connection helped arrange this release in 1961 on that label.
After a couple of years in Hollywood with little success in music Ray returned to New York City for a couple of years and had some contact with Musicor Records and Publishing but nothing resulted from it.
Back and forth from L.A. to Austin and back to L.A. again did result in a 45 in 1967, "Civil Disobedience", a parody of the hippie lifestyle and music, released on Austin's Sonobeat label.
He gave up music for a few years when Rockabilly started going out of fashion and became a Los Angeles School's English teacher and is still active in the classroom.
He met Rockin' Ronny Weiser , who formed the Rollin' Rock Record Company in 1971. Ronny was from Europe, a fanatic with the goal of reviving 1950's rockers like Ray and Gene Vincent. He gave Ray a jump start and he formed a new band, "The Rockabilly Rebels" and made 13 albums and a dozen 45's for Ron, often playing all the instruments himself.
In 1977 the band was invited to do an English tour along with Mac Curtis . Ray and the Rockabilly Rebels went there again in 1979 and appeared in the filming of a fantastic three day festival which resulted in a feature film, "Blue Suede Shoes" in which Bill Haley appeared. Ray sang his song "Rockabilly Rebel" to the hep cats and Teddy Boys and kids with greasy hair and jeans with turned up cuffs. To this day Ray is still idolized by young people who have dedicated their lives to Rock and Roll and Rockabilly music.
A steady stream of albums and CD's followed in the 70's and 80's on various labels including "Rockin At The Ritz", "Gone Gone Gone" and "With Friends In Texas" (featuring "Caterpillar" sung by film legend Mae West ) on Rounder Records .
Ray is still recording and touring in the new millennium and has his own label "Real Music". He keeps busy in the studio making the music he loves and has CD's released in numerous countries almost yearly. He now has music available world wide on over 55 vinyl records and compact discs. Ray's numerous original compositions are published by his own Winsor Music - BMI , and administered by Bug Music .
P.S. Thank you Kevin Fennell for your great guitar playing over the years and for your contributions to me and MySpace......................... It's really "Our Space"!
To all my friends worldwide,
I am very happy to have a role in bringing the music of Kevin Fennell to the world through computer downloading.
Kevin, an amazing Guitarist, and in recent years a songwriter, music producer and vocalist entered my life when he joined my Rockabilly Rebel band in 1977. Two tours of England followed shortly and our close friendship has advanced since that time as we still perform live and record together.
If you enjoy Rockabilly, Blues, Country and Good Ol' Rock & Roll give a listen to the amazing nine CD's of Kevin Fennell.
You can order Kevin's songs or whole albums from Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, i-Tunes or e-Music.
Hope all is well. It sure was fun playing together with you at that TV show in Hollywood before X-mas. Below is the video of a tune we did together. Looking forward to seeing you here in LA in the near future...
Phil (& The Trio)
P.S. Going on tour to Europe in January. My buddies 'The Bellhops' will be doing all those shows with me...
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Hey Ray Campi, I am sending you a Budweiser.
