Ray Price (singer)

Ray Price
Price, ca. 1968
Price, ca. 1968
Background information
Birth nameNoble Ray Price
Also known asThe Cherokee Cowboy
Born(1926-01-12)January 12, 1926
Wood County, Texas, U.S.
DiedDecember 16, 2013(2013-12-16) (aged 87)
Mount Pleasant, Texas, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1948–2013
LabelsColumbia, Myrrh, ABC, Monument, Dimension, Viva, Step One

Noble Ray Price (January 12, 1926 – December 16, 2013)[1] was an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone is regarded as among the best male voices of country music,[2] and his innovations, such as propelling the country beat from 2/4 to 4/4, known as the "Ray Price beat", helped make country music more popular.[2]

Some of his well-known recordings include "Release Me", "Crazy Arms", "Heartaches by the Number", "For the Good Times", "Night Life", and "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me". He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. He continued to record and tour into his 80s.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Obit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Bill Friskics-Warren (December 17, 2013). "Ray Price, Groundbreaking, Hit-Making Country Singer, Dies at 87". The New York Times.