Gene Watson’s Peers within the country music industry believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much so that Gene is regarded by many of them as ‘the singer’s singer’ – and rightly so!
All of Gene Watson’s Peers who were contacted by The Gene Watson Fan Site during 2004 were most gracious with their time and words.
It is here, within this special part of The Gene Watson Fan Site, that you have an opportunity to read a quote from Ray Griff, which he submitted to this site on Monday 6 September 2004.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to Ray Griff who has made a special contribution to a unique part of this online ‘celebration of a Lone Star Hero’.
Ray Griff
This quote was submitted on Monday 6 September 2004.
‘Gene Watson is probably the last of the truly great traditional country music singers around today.
I’ve been a Gene Watson fan since he recorded my song, ‘Where Love Begins‘, and each and every time he has recorded one of my songs has been a natural high for me.
Gene is one of the few artists who sings a song the way the writer hears it in his head’
Thank you, Ray Griff, for your support of Gene Watson.
About Ray Griff…
Ray Griff was born John Raymond Griff on Monday 22 April 1940 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the younger of two sons by Katherine and George Griff.
Due to a breakup of the marriage and financial hard ships, Katherine left with her two sons and moved to Winfield, Alberta where she found employment as a bookkeeper.
Katherine’s sheer determination and years of sacrificing is what moulded Ray Griff!
Having a great love for music, at the age of eight, Ray Griff, along with his brother Ken and three other local kids, formed a band calling themselves ‘The Winfield Amateurs’, a title which later became one of Ray’s most popular songs, and the title of one of his albums, ‘The Last of the Winfield Amateurs’ (Capitol Records, 1976) for Capitol Records in 1976. Ray Griff sang and played drums in the band.
Saving his pennies, Ray Griff purchased a Palm Beach guitar that he taught himself to play. It was about this time that Ray Griff started writing songs. Ray Griff’s mum Katherine scraped together enough funds to buy an old upright piano; Ray Griff taught himself to play the piano as well.
When Ray Griff turned twelve, the family decided to move to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Coming into adulthood, Ray Griff worked at a grocery store after school and on weekends to help with the family bills.
Ray Griff fronted his own group in the late 1950s called ‘The Blue Echo’s’ and began to earn a name for himself in and around Calgary, performing at high school hops and at local community affairs.
It was during one of these performances that he attracted the attention of local radio personality and promoter D’Arcy Scott, who asked Ray Griff to be the opening act for Johnny Horton (Thursday 30 April 1925 – Saturday 5 November 1960) on a tour of Western Canada.
Johnny Horton (Thursday 30 April 1925 – Saturday 5 November 1960) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Mister Moonlight’ and included the track on ‘The Spectacular Johnny Horton’ (Columbia Records, 1959).
During the tour of Western Canada, Ray Griff played a song he had written for Johnny Horton (Thursday 30 April 1925 – Saturday 5 November 1960) called ‘Mister Moonlight’, which Johnny included on his classic album ‘The Spectacular Johnny Horton’ (Columbia Records, 1959).
Ray Griff decided to quit school and took a day job to make enough money to get to Nashville to pitch his songs.
Ray Griff also entertained at a local nightclub, being the first live entertainment to perform in Calgary when the Liquor Bill was passed.
In 1961, Ray Griff made his first trip to Nashville, leaving countless tapes of his songs with music publishers and record labels. For the next two years, Ray Griff fine-tuned his talents as a songwriter and performer.
Jim Reeves
(Monday 20 August 1923 – Friday 31 July 1964)
It was after a Jim Reeves (Monday 20 August 1923 – Friday 31 July 1964) concert in Calgary that Ray Griff presented Jim Reeves with his song ‘Where Do I Go From Here’.
Jim Reeves (Monday 20 August 1923 – Friday 31 July 1964) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Where Do I Go From Here’ and included the track on ‘We Thank Thee’ (RCA Records, 1962).
Jim Reeves (Monday 20 August 1923 – Friday 31 July 1964) not only recorded the song on his next album, ‘We Thank Thee’ (RCA Records, 1962), but he also invited Ray Griff to move to Nashville. After completing a Canadian nightclub tour, Ray Griff made the long anticipated move to Nashville in 1964.
Sadly, Jim Reeves, Ray Griff’s friend and mentor, perished in a plane crash on Friday 31 July 1964.
Though devastated and alone, Ray Griff was determined to make it in the world of country music. Ray Griff got a job repairing pianos from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon, when he would pitch his songs to record labels until closing time. Ray Griff would then work from six until midnight at a record pressing plant to help make ends meet.
Ray Griff also managed to write songs as well as getting his high school diploma through a correspondence course.
Bob Ferguson (Friday 30 December 1927 – Sunday 22 July 2001), a record producer in Nashville, was so impressed with Ray Griff that he hired him to pitch songs for his publishing company.
Ray Griff then recorded ‘Don’t Lead Me On’ and ‘That Weepin’ Willow Tree’, both of which would later be included on ‘The World of Ray Griff’ (RCA Records, 1977).
The session was presented to Chet Atkins (Friday 20 June 1924 – Saturday 30 June 2001) at RCA Records and Ray Griff was signed to its subsidiary label, Groove Records. Ray Griff remained with the label until artistic differences led him to be let out of his contract.
Wilma Burgess (Sunday 11 June 1939 – Tuesday 26 August 2003) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Baby’ and included the track on ‘Don’t Touch Me’ (Decca Records, 1966); the track reached No.7 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1966.
Wilma Burgess (Sunday 11 June 1939 – Tuesday 26 August 2003) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Wait ‘Til The Sun Comes Up’ and included the track on ‘Don’t Touch Me’ (Decca Records, 1966).
Shortly after, Ray Griff played a song for renowned producer Owen Bradley (Thursday 21 October 1915 – Wednesday 7 January 1998). The song was ‘Baby’, which Owen Bradley recorded with Wilma Burgess (Sunday 11 June 1939 – Tuesday 26 August 2003), a new artist on Decca – Ray Griff’s career as a songwriter and music publisher was under way.
For the next twenty plus years, Ray Griff would remain one of the hottest songwriters and music publishers in country music. Ray Griff enjoyed forty eight singles in the Billboard Top 100, as well as being the recipient of eighty seven ASCAP and BMI citations as a songwriter, artist, producer and publisher, taking home an unprecedented sixteen ASCAP awards two years running in 1975 and 1976.
In 1998, Ray Griff was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Association Hall of Fame, an event which took place during Country Music Week (Friday 11 September – Monday 14 September 1998) in Calgary.
Ray Griff has written over two thousand songs, with more than seven hundred of his songs recorded by many renowned country music artists.
Johnny Horton (Thursday 30 April 1925 – Saturday 5 November 1960) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Mister Moonlight’ and included the track on ‘The Spectacular Johnny Horton’ (Columbia Records, 1959).
Jim Reeves (Monday 20 August 1923 – Friday 31 July 1964) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Where Do I Go From Here’ and included the track on ‘We Thank Thee’ (RCA Records, 1962).
Marty Robbins (Saturday 26 September 1925 – Wednesday 88 December 1982) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘She Means Nothing To Me Now’ and included the track on ‘R.F.D.’ (Columbia Records, 1964).
Stonewall Jackson (Sunday 6 November 1932 – Saturday 4 December 2021) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Lost In The Shuffle’ and included the track on ‘Greatest Hits’ (Columbia Records, 1965); the track reached No.22 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1965.
On Friday 12 November 1965, Jack Scott recorded Ray Griff’s ‘This Is Where I Came In’ as a non-album single for RCA Victor Records. The track remained un-released until 1996, when Germany’s Bear Family Records included the track on Disc 4 of the box set, ‘The Way I Am’ (Bear Family Records, 1996); the track was subsequently included on ‘The Ballads of Ray Scott’ (Bear Family Records, 2007).
Wilma Burgess (Sunday 11 June 1939 – Tuesday 26 August 2003) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Baby’ and included the track on ‘Don’t Touch Me’ (Decca Records, 1966); the track reached No.7 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1966.
Wilma Burgess (Sunday 11 June 1939 – Tuesday 26 August 2003) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Wait ‘Til The Sun Comes Up’ and included the track on ‘Don’t Touch Me’ (Decca Records, 1966).
Eddy Arnold (Wednesday 15 May 1918 – Thursday 8 May 2008) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘After The Laughter Comes The Tears’ and included the track on ‘The Last Word In Lonesome’ (RCA Records, 1966).
Dottie West (Tuesday 11 October 1932 – Wednesday 4 September 1991) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Baby’ and included the track on ‘Suffer Time’ (RCA Records, 1966).
Eddy Arnold (Wednesday 15 May 1918 – Thursday 8 May 2008) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘At Sunset’ and included the track on ‘Somebody Like Me’ (RCA Records, 1966).
Jean Shepard (Tuesday 21 November 1933 – Sunday 25 September 2016) & Ray Pillow recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Corner of Despair’ and included the track on ‘I’ll Take The Dog’ (Capitol Records, 1966).
Jean Shepard (Tuesday 21 November 1933 – Sunday 25 September 2016) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘It’s The Wine That’s Talking’ and included the track on ‘Heart, We Did All That We Could’ (Capitol Records, 1967).
Eddy Arnold (Wednesday 15 May 1918 – Thursday 8 May 2008) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Baby’ and included the track on ‘Lonely Again’ (RCA Records, 1967).
In September 1965, George Hamilton IV (Monday 19 July 1937 – Wednesday 17 September 2014) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Something Special’; the track was subsequently included on ‘The Gentle Country Sound of George Hamilton IV’ (RCA Records, 1968).
Hank Locklin (Friday 15 February 1918 – Sunday 8 March 2009) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Softly’ and included the track on ‘Softly’ (RCA Records, 1968).
Bill Anderson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Ring Around A Rosie’ and included the track on ‘Wild Weekend’ (Decca Records, 1968).
Mel Tillis (Monday 8 August 1932 – Sunday 19 November 2017) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Something Special’ and included the track on ‘Let Me Talk To You’ (Kapp Records, 1968); the track was also included on Mel Tillis‘ ‘Something Special’ (Kapp Records, 1968); the track reached No.17 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1968.
Johnny Carver recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Your Lily White Hands’ and included the track on ‘You’re In Good Hands’ (Imperial Records, 1968); the track reached No.21 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1968.
Del Reeves (Thursday 14 July 1932 – Monday 1 January 2007) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Your Lily White Hands’ and included the track on ‘Running Wild’ (United Artists Records, 1968).
Gary Buck (Thursday 21 March 1940 – Tuesday 14 October 2003) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Calgary, Alberta’ and included the track on ‘Tomorrow Today’ (Capitol Records, 1968).
Wilma Burgess (Sunday 11 June 1939 – Tuesday 26 August 2003) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow’ and included the track on ‘Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow’ (Decca Records, 1969).
Connie Smith recorded Ray Griff’s ‘I’ll Love You Enough (For Both of Us)’ and included the track on ‘Connie’s Country’ (RCA Records, 1969).
Eddy Arnold (Wednesday 15 May 1918 – Thursday 8 May 2008) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Sweet Bird of Youth’ and included the track on ‘The Glory of Love’ (RCA Records, 1969).
Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Handful of Dreams’ and included the track on ‘I’ve Got Precious Memories’ (Mercury Records, 1969).
Johnny Carver recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Sweet Wine’ and included the track on ‘Sweet Wine / Hold Me Tight’ (Imperial Records, 1969).
George Hamilton IV (Monday 19 July 1937 – Wednesday 17 September 2014) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Canadian Pacific’ and included the track on ‘Canadian Pacific’ (RCA Victor Records, 1969); the track reached No.25 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1969.
Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Game For Believers’ (co-written with T. Bornhorst) and included the track on ‘Wine Me Up’ (Mercury Records, 1969).
Porter Wagoner (Friday 12 August 1927 – Sunday 28 October 2007) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Shuckin’ Corn’ and included the track on ‘Me & My Boys’ (RCA Records, 1969).
Ann Margaret and Lee Hazelwood (Tuesday 9 July 1929 – Saturday 4 August 2007) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘You Can’t Imagine’ and included the track on ‘The Cowboy & The Lady’ (LHI Records, 1969).
Skeeter Davis (Wednesday 30 December 1931 – Sunday 19 September 2004) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Arms of Your Love’ and included the track on ‘A Place In The Country’ (RCA Victor Records, 1970).
Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Cold Day In July’ and included the track on ‘For The Good Times’ (Columbia Records, 1970).
Bob Luman (Thursday 15 April 1937 – Wednesday 27 December 1978) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Gettin’ Back To Norma’ and included the track on ‘Norma’ (Epic Records, 1970); the track reached No.56 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1970.
Bob Luman (Thursday 15 April 1937 – Wednesday 27 December 1978) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Makin’ A Mountain Out of A Molehill’ and included the track on ‘Norma’ (Epic Records, 1970).
Ferlin Husky (Thursday 3 December 1925 – Thursday 17 March 2011) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘These Are The Reasons’ and included the track on ‘Your Sweet Love Lifted Me’ (Capitol Records, 1970).
Jody Miller (Saturday 29 November 1941 – Thursday 6 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘I’ll Never Love Again’ and included the track on ‘Look At Mine’ (Epic Records, 1970).
Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Step Aside’ and included the track on ‘Step Aside’ (Mercury Records, 1971); the track reached No.6 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1971.
Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Hand That Feeds You’ and included the track on ‘Step Aside’ (Mercury Records, 1971).
Porter Wagoner (Friday 12 August 1927 – Sunday 28 October 2007) & Dolly Parton recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Better Move It On Home’ and included the track on ‘The Best of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton’ (RCA Records, 1971); the track reached No.7 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1971.
Johnny Duncan (Wednesday 5 October 1938 – Monday 14 August 2006) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘What I Don’t Know’ and included the track on ‘There’s Something About A Lady’ (Columbia Records, 1971).
George Hamilton IV (Monday 19 July 1937 – Wednesday 17 September 2014) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘North Country’ and included the track on ‘North Country’ (RCA Victor Records, 1971).
Jerry Lee Lewis (Sunday 29 September 1935 – Friday 28 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Coming Back For More’ and included the track on ‘Touching Home’ (Mercury Records, 1971).
James Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Price (Wednesday 27 May 1931 – Tuesday 4 August 1987) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’ and included the track on ‘The Sheriff of Boone County’ (RCA Victor Records, 1971).
Wayne Kemp (Sunday 1 June 1941 – Monday 9 March 2015) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Step Aside’ and included the track on ‘Wayne Kemp’ (Decca Records, 1971).
Faron Young (Thursday 25 February 1932 – Tuesday 10 December 1996) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘You Can’t Lose What You Never Had’ and included the track on ‘Leavin’ & Sayin’ Goodbye’ (Mercury Records, 1971).
Kitty Wells (Saturday 30 August 1919 – Monday 16 July 2012) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Step Aside’ and included the track on ‘Pledging My Love’ (Decca Records, 1971).
Tex Williams (Thursday 23 August 1917 – Friday 11 October 1985) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Pretty In Blue’ (co-written with Ron Deckard) and included the track on ‘A Man Called Tex’ (Monument Records, 1971).
Gary Buck (Thursday 21 March 1940 – Tuesday 14 October 2003) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Curtain of Tears’ and included the track on ‘Wayward Woman of The World’ (Capitol Records, 1971).
George Hamilton IV (Monday 19 July 1937 – Wednesday 17 September 2014) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘You Wanted Me To Tell You Like It Is’ and included the track on ‘Country Music In My Soul’ (RCA Records, 1972).
Jim Ed Brown (Sunday 1 April 1934 – Thursday 11 June 2015) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Darling’ and included the track on ‘Brown Is Blue’ (RCA Records, 1972).
Loretta Lynn (Thursday 14 April 1932 – Tuesday 4 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Mornin’ After Baby Let Me Down’ and included the track on ‘One’s On The Way’ (Decca Records, 1972).
Bill Anderson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Mornin’ After Baby Let Me Down’ and included the track on ‘Bill Anderson Sings For All The Lonely Women In The World’ (Decca Records, 1972).
Loretta Lynn (Thursday 14 April 1932 – Tuesday 4 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Best Years of My Life’ and included the track on ‘Here I Am Again’ (Decca Records, 1972).
Bill Anderson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Sugar In Your Coffee’ and included the track on ‘Don’t She Look Good’ (Decca Records, 1972).
Jerry Lee Lewis (Sunday 29 September 1935 – Friday 28 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Who’s Gonna Play This Old Piano’ and included the track on ‘Who’s Gonna Play This Old Piano’ (Mercury Records, 1972); the track reached No.14 on the Billboard country music singles chart in early 1973.
Wayne Kemp (Sunday 1 June 1941 – Monday 9 March 2015) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Darling’ and included the track on ‘Kentucky Sunshine’ (MCA Records, 1973).
Ferlin Husky (Thursday 3 December 1925 – Thursday 17 March 2011) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Love Me Back Together’ and included the track on ‘Sweet Honky Tonk’ (ABC Records, 1973).
Conway Twitty (Friday 1 September 1933 – Saturday 5 June 1993) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Darling’ and included the track on ‘She Needs Someone To Hold Her’ (Decca Records, 1973).
Johnny Duncan (Wednesday 5 October 1938 – Monday 14 August 2006) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘What I Don’t Know’ and included the track on ‘You’re Gonna Need A Man’ (Harmony Records, 1973).
Jeanne Pruett recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Is Her Love Any Better Than Mine’ and included the track on ‘Satin Sheets’ (MCA Records, 1973).
Slim Whitman (Saturday 20 January 1923 – Wednesday 19 June 2013) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Hold Me’ and included the track on ‘I’ll See You When’ (United Artists Records, 1973).
Jerry Lee Lewis (Sunday 29 September 1935 – Friday 28 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Mornin’ After Baby Let Me Down’ and included the track on ‘Sometimes A Memory Ain’t Enough’ (Mercury Records, 1973).
Bill Anderson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘I Can’t Mend It’ and included the track on ‘Bill’ (MCA Records, 1973).
Jerry Lee Lewis (Sunday 29 September 1935 – Friday 28 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Where Would I Be’ and included the track on ‘I-40 Country’ (Mercury Records, 1974).
George Jones (Saturday 12 September 1931 – Friday 26 April 2013) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Darling’ and included the track on ‘The Grand Tour’ (Epic Records, 1974).
Chet Atkins (Friday 20 June 1924 – Saturday 30 June 2001), along with some of Nashville’s top recording session players, recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Canadian Pacific’ and included the track on ‘Superpickers’ (RCA Victor Records, 1974).
The top recording session players involved in the recording of Chet Atkins’ ‘Superpickers’ (RCA Victor Records, 1974) included the following:
• Chet Atkins (Friday 20 June 1924 – Saturday 30 June 2001) and Jerry Shook (guitar)
• Johnny Gimble (Sunday 30 May 1926 – Saturday 9 May 2015) and Buddy Spicher (fiddle)
• Buddy Harman (Sunday 23 December 1928 – Thursday 21 August 2008) and Larrie Londin (Friday 15 October 1943 – Monday 24 August 1992) (drums)
• Charlie McCoy (harmonica)
• Weldon Myrick (Monday 10 April 1939 – Monday 2 June 2014) (pedal steel guitar)
• Farrell Morris (percussion)
• Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins (Tuesday 18 January 1938 – Sunday 30 January 2022) (piano)
• Paul Yandell (guitar, ukulele)
• Henry Strzelecki (Tuesday 8 August 1939 – Monday 29 December 2014) (bass)
Bobby Thompson (Monday 5 July 1937 – Wednesday 18 May 2005) (banjo, guitar)
Crystal Gayle recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Gonna Lay Me Down Beside My Memories’ and included the track on ‘Crystal Gayle’ (United Artists Records, 1975).
Dave Dudley (Thursday 3 May 1928 – Monday 22 December 2003) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Wave At ‘Em, Billy Boy’ and included the track on ‘Uncommonly Good Country’ (United Artists Records, 1975).
Loretta Lynn (Thursday 14 April 1932 – Tuesday 4 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Hands of Yesterday’ and included the track on ‘Back To The Country’ (Decca Records, 1975).
Jerry Lee Lewis (Sunday 29 September 1935 – Friday 28 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Little Peace & Harmony’ and included the track on ‘Boogie Woogie Country Man’ (Mercury Records, 1975).
Crystal Gayle recorded Ray Griff’s ‘What I’ve Been Needing’ and included the track on ‘Somebody Loves You’ (United Artists Records, 1975).
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Where Love Begins’ and included the track on ‘Love in The Hot Afternoon‘ (Capitol Records, 1975); the track reached No.5 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1975.
Randy Cornor (Wednesday 28 July 1954 – Thursday 24 March 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Love Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’ and included the track on ‘My First Album’ (ABC Records / Dot Records, 1975).
Jerry Lee Lewis (Sunday 29 September 1935 – Friday 28 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Jerry’s Place’ and included the track on ‘Odd Man In’ (Mercury Records, 1975).
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Her Body Couldn’t Keep You (Off My Mind)’ and included the track on ‘Because You Believed in Me‘ (Capitol Records, 1976); the track reached No.52 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1976.
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘How Good A Bad Woman Feels’ and included the track on ‘Because You Believed in Me‘ (Capitol Records, 1976).
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Hey Louella’ and included the track on ‘Because You Believed in Me‘ (Capitol Records, 1976).
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘And Then You Came Along’ and included the track on ‘Because You Believed in Me‘ (Capitol Records, 1976).
Mel Tillis (Monday 8 August 1932 – Sunday 19 November 2017) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Morning After Baby Let Me Down’ and included the track on ‘Heart Healer’ (MCA Records, 1977).
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘If The Shoe Fits, Wear It’ and included the track on ‘Paper Rosie‘ (Capitol Records, 1977).
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Don’t Look At Me (In That Tone of Voice)’ and included the track on ‘Paper Rosie‘ (Capitol Records, 1977); the original version of this track was recorded by Ray Griff, who included it on ‘Ray Griff Sings’ (GRT Records, 1972).
Johnny Duncan (Wednesday 5 October 1938 – Monday 14 August 2006) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘It Couldn’t Have Been Any Better’ and included the track on ‘Johnny Duncan’ (Columbia Records, 1977); the track, which featured background vocals from Janie Fricke, was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in April 1977, and was subsequently included on ‘Johnny Duncan: Greatest Hits’ (Columbia Records, 1977).
Ray Price (Tuesday 12 January 1926 – Monday 16 December 2013) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Morning After Baby Let Me Down’ and included the track on ‘Reunited’ (Dot Records, 1977).
T.G. Sheppard recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Baby’s Gettin’ Around’ and included the track on ‘T.G.’ (Warner Bros. Records, 1978).
Billy ‘Crash’ Craddock recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels’ and included the track on ‘Laughing & Crying, Living & Dying’ (Capitol Records, 1979).
Johnny Duncan (Wednesday 5 October 1938 – Monday 14 August 2006) & Janie Fricke recorded Ray Griff’s ‘It Couldn’t Have Been Any Better’ and included the track on ‘Nice ‘N’ Easy’ (Columbia Records, 1980).
Johnny Duncan (Wednesday 5 October 1938 – Monday 14 August 2006) & Janie Fricke‘s recording of Ray Griff’s ‘It Couldn’t Have Been Any Better’, which was included on ‘Johnny Duncan’ (Columbia Records, 1977) and ‘Johnny Duncan: Greatest Hits’ (Columbia Records, 1977), was No.1 on the Billboard country music singles chart for one week in April 1977.
Jerry Lee Lewis (Sunday 29 September 1935 – Friday 28 October 2022) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Mama, This One’s For You’ and included the track on ‘Killer Country’ (Elektra Records, 1980).
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Between This Time & The Next Time’ and included the track on ‘Between This Time & The Next Time‘ (MCA Records, 1982); the track reached No.17 on the Billboard country music singles chart in 1982.
Red Jenkins (Tuesday 11 November 1947 – Sunday 26 December 2021) recorded Ray Griff’s ‘A Little Bit of Texas In My Life’ and included the track on ‘Red Jenkins In Nashvile’ (Sonet Records, 1983).
Margo Smith recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Alone’ and included the track on ‘The Best Yet’ (Playback Records, 1987).
Tommy Cash recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Too Little Too Late’ (co-written with Tommy Rocco) and included the track on ‘The 25th Anniversary Album’ (Playback Records, 1990).
Jeannie C. Riley recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Hang Up Your Rhinestone Suit’ and included the track on ‘Here’s Jeannie C.’ (Playback Records, 1991).
Gene Watson recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Hold That Thought’ (co-written with Tommy Rocco) and included the track on ‘Uncharted Mind‘ (Step One Records, 1993).
Gord Bamford recorded Ray Griff’s ‘There’s A Ring To It’ (co-written with Craig Young) and included the track on ‘God’s Green Earth’ (GWB / Royalty Records Canada, 2001).
Margo Smith recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Soft Touch’ and included the track on ‘Country Queen’ (K-Tel Records, 2007).
Gene Watson re-recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Between This Time & The Next Time’ and included the track on ‘Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2012).
Gene Watson re-recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Where Love Begins’ and included the track on ‘Best of the Best: 25 Greatest Hits‘ (Fourteen Carat Music, 2012).
Myra Rolen recorded Ray Griff’s ‘Hold That Thought’ (co-written with Tommy Rocco) and included the track on ‘Hold That Thought’ (Pretty World Records, 2014).
On Tuesday 2 September 2014, Ray Griff saw the release of ‘The Entertainer: Greatest US & Canadian Hits’ (Real Gone Music, 2014), the first-ever anthology of Ray Griff’s biggest chart smashes. Spanning the years 1967-1986 and seven record labels, the anthology includes Ray Griff’s charting sides for MGM, Dot, Royal American, ABC, Capitol, Vision and RCA.
Ray Griff’s ‘The Entertainer: Greatest US & Canadian Hits’ (Real Gone Music, 2014) was remastered by Ray Griff himself, and the notes by Greg Adams featured quotes and photos from the artist’s private collection.
Ray Griff’s ‘The Entertainer: Greatest US & Canadian Hits’ (Real Gone Music, 2014) included the following tracks:
‘Your Lily White Hands’
‘The Sugar From My Candy’
‘The Entertainer’
‘Patches’
‘The Morning After Baby Let Me Down’
‘It Rains Just The Same In Missouri’
‘A Song For Everyone’
‘What Got To You (Before It Got To Me)’
‘Darlin’
‘That Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Love My God’
‘The Hill’
‘If That’s What It Takes’
‘You Ring My Bell’
‘If I Let Her Come In’
‘That’s What I Get (For Doin’ My Own Thinkin’)’
‘I Love the Way That You Love Me’
‘The Last of The Winfield Amateurs’
‘A Passing Thing’
‘A Cold Day In July’
‘Raymond’s Place’
‘Canada’
‘Draw Me A Line’
‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’
‘What My Woman Does To Me’
Ray Griff
Monday 22 April 1940 – Wednesday 9 March 2016
photo courtesy of Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald
Ray Griff, who was one of Canadian country music’s most prolific and celebrated stars, passed away on Wednesday 9 March 2016, from aspiration pneumonia following minor rotator cuff surgery. In the years prior to his death, Ray Griff had battled throat cancer.
Ray Griff was seventy-five years old at the time of his passing.
• Visit Ray Griff’s official site at raygriff.com
• Visit Ray Griff’s official store at raygriff.com