Collin Raye

Artist Image: Collin Raye
Attribution
Image Credit: Gage Skidmore (Own work), CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

Floyd Collin Wray (born August 22, 1960 in De Queen, Arkansas) is an American country music singer, known professionally as Collin Raye. He made his debut on the American country music scene in 1991 with the release of his debut album All I Can Be, which produced his first Number One hit in "Love, Me". All I Can Be was the first of four consecutive albums released by Raye to achieve platinum certification in the United States for sales of one million copies each. He maintained several Top Ten hits throughout the rest of the decade and into 2000. 2001's Can't Back Down was his first album that did not produce a Top 40 country hit, and he was dropped by his record label soon afterward. He did not record another studio album until 2005's Twenty Years and Change, released on an independent label. Between 1991 and 2007, Raye charted 30 singles on the U.S. country charts; he has also charted twice on the Adult Contemporary format as a duet partner on two Jim Brickman songs. Four of Raye's singles have reached Number One on the Billboard country music charts: 1992's "Love, Me" and "In This Life", 1994's "My Kind of Girl", and 1998's "I Can Still Feel You". He has also recorded a total of eleven studio albums, counting a Christmas album and a compilation of lullabies, in addition to releasing a Greatest Hits compilation, a live album, and a live CD/DVD package. His most recent album, Never Going Back, was released via Saguaro Road Records on April 28, 2009.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1960
Number of Albums 35
Record Label
Website www.collinraye.com
Wikipedia Collin Raye on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Genres

Country

Trivia

Where was Raye raised?

Texas

...Country rock and ballad performer Raye was raised in Texas , where his mother often opened shows for visiting star performers. When the brothers split,...
Who signed Collin as a solo act to Epic Records?

Bob Montgomery

... split, Collin was signed as a solo act to Epic Records by producer Bob Montgomery . A collection of romantic songs, All I Can Be, became an immediate ...
What collection of romantic songs became an immediate hit?

All I Can Be

... Records by producer Bob Montgomery. A collection of romantic songs, All I Can Be , became an immediate bestselling country album in the USA and Love M...
What romantic songs topped the US country charts?

Love Me, In This Life and That Was A River

...an immediate bestselling country album in the USA and Love Me, In This Life and That Was A River all topped the US country charts. Love Me has since b...
What was Raye's third album called?

Extremes

...ong became another US country number 1. By the time of his third album Extremes , Raye was expanding his balladeer image, and this forceful collection ...
Who wrote Thats My Story?

Lee Roy Parnell

...s forceful collection included Thats My Story, which was written by Lee Roy Parnell , and Little Rock, about a recovering alcoholic. By 1995, Raye had ...
What was Little Rock about?

a recovering alcoholic

...y, which was written by Lee Roy Parnell, and Little Rock, about a recovering alcoholic . By 1995, Raye had achieved six country number 1s, and further ...
How many country number 1s did Raye have by 1995?

six

...and Little Rock, about a recovering alcoholic. By 1995, Raye had achieved six country number 1s, and further hits in the Top 5. Although Raye is divor...
Where does Raye live with his exwife and children?

Greenville, Texas

...gh Raye is divorced he still lives with his exwife and children in Greenville, Texas . His album I Think About You includes the perplexing lyric of Wha...
In what song does Christ return to Earth as a vagrant?

What If Jesus Came Back Like That

...s album I Think About You includes the perplexing lyric of What If Jesus Came Back Like That , in which Christ returns to Earth as a vagrant and a sing...
How many platinum records does Collin Raye have?

five

...With five platinum records and fifteen numberone singles to his credit, country star Collin Raye is one of the most successful recording artists to ev...
How many number one singles has CollinRaye had?

fifteen

...With five platinum records and fifteen numberone singles to his credit, country star Collin Raye is one of the most successful recording artists to ev...
Who is Collin's mother?

Lois Wray

...sful recording artists to ever have emerged from Arkansas. His mother, Lois Wray , had achieved notoriety in the 1950s as a regional musician, opening ...
What was Rayes mother's role in her solo career?

had Raye and his older brother accompany her on stage to perform harmony vocals

...er in her solo career, Rayes mother had Raye and his older brother accompany her on stage to perform harmony vocals . When Raye was a young boy, his fa...
What was Raye's stage name?

Bubba Wray

...med the Wray Brothers Band when he was thirteen. Using the stage name Bubba Wray , Raye eventually began performing with his brother in the Pacific Nor...
When did Raye marry Connie Parker?

1980

...ere they played in casinos and nightclubs. Raye married Connie Parker in 1980 , and they had two children. The Wrays recorded a number of singles which...
What was the name of Raye's wife?

Connie Parker

...o, Nevada, where they played in casinos and nightclubs. Raye married Connie Parker in 1980, and they had two children. The Wrays recorded a number of ...
In what city did Mercury Records release two of their singles?

Nashville

...ngles which subsequently attracted the attention of Mercury Records in Nashville , Tennessee. Mercury released two of their singles in 1986 and 1987. A...
What was the name of the artist who stopped touring in 1986?

Scott Wray

...f Mercury Records in Nashville, Tennessee. Mercury released two of their singles in 1986 and 1987. Around that time, Scott Wray opted to stop touring....
What was Colin's band called?

The Wrays

... Colin Rea. Under the latter name, he recorded as a member of the band The Wrays between 1983 and 1987. He made his solo debut in 1991 as Collin Raye ...
How many albums did Raye release in a row?

four

...uced his first Number One hit in Love, Me. All I Can Be was the first of four consecutive albums released by Raye to achieve platinum certification in...
In what year was All I Can Be released?

1991

...r of the band The Wrays between 1983 and 1987. He made his solo debut in 1991 as Collin Raye with the album All I Can Be, which produced his first Num...
What was Raye's first album that did not produce a Top 40 country hit?

Can't Back Down

...op Ten hits throughout the rest of the decade and into 2000. 2001's Can't Back Down was his first album that did not produce a Top 40 country hit, and...
How many singles did Raye release between 1991 and 2007?

30

...ge, released on an independent label. Between 1991 and 2007, Raye charted 30 singles on the U.S. country charts; he has also charted twice on the Adul...
What format has Raye charted twice as a duet partner?

Adult Contemporary

...gles on the U.S. country charts; he has also charted twice on the Adult Contemporary format as a duet partner on two Jim Brickman songs. Four of Raye'...
How many of Raye's singles have reached number one on the Billboard country music charts?

Four

...e Adult Contemporary format as a duet partner on two Jim Brickman songs. Four of Raye's singles have reached Number One on the Billboard country music...
What was Lois Wray's mother's occupation?

musician

...l, and 1998's I Can Still Feel You. His mother, Lois Wray, was a local musician ; in the 1950s, she served as an opening act for several Sun Records ar...
In what decade did Lois serve as an opening act for several Sun Records artists?

1950s

... Can Still Feel You. His mother, Lois Wray, was a local musician; in the 1950s , she served as an opening act for several Sun Records artists, includin...
What year was Floyd Collin Wray born?

1959

...Born Floyd Collin Wray, August 22, 1959 , in DeQueen, AR; divorced; children: Jake Wray, Brittany Wray. Noted for his poignant ballads, Texasbred vocal...
What is the name of Collin Raye's two children?

Jake Wray, Brittany Wray

...lin Wray, August 22, 1959, in DeQueen, AR; divorced; children: Jake Wray, Brittany Wray . Noted for his poignant ballads, Texasbred vocalist Collin Ray...
How many platinum albums has Raye released?

three

...ch in the past few years that a country artist can sing anything. Raye's three platinum albums, as well as the evergrowing crowds of hatted and booted...
What was Raye's father's job?

bass player

... that music would figure prominently in Raye's life: his father was a bass player and his mother sang backup vocals for Sun Records greats like Jerry ...
What was Raye's brother's name?

Scott

...e Lewis and Carl Perkins when they came to town. Along with his brother, Scott , Raye started his own band while still in his teens. As part of the bro...
Along with Scott, Raye started his own band while in what age?

teens

...ng with his brother, Scott, Raye started his own band while still in his teens . As part of the brothers' lounge actcalled, not surprisingly, the Wray ...
Where was all you were looking at was people sitting there?

Nevada

...cehall circuit, the traditional training ground for country artists. In Nevada , all you were looking at was people sitting there, he told Country Musi...
What was Love, Me?

a sentimental ballad recounting the enduring love between the narrator's grandparents

...rts in early 1992 with Love, Me, a sentimental ballad recounting the enduring love between the narrator's grandparents . Love, Me was the first of four...
What was Raye's hit single from 1995?

My Kind of Girl

...ld serve him well throughout his career. He could kick up some dust My Kind of Girl , a number one from 1995, was a lively bit of rocking country but a...
When was Raye born?

De Queen, Arkansas

...ding on occasion in the 2000s. Raye was born Floyd Collin Wray in De Queen, Arkansas , in 1959, and his mother, Lois, was a locally popular singer who ...
What was Raye's mother's occupation?

singer

...e Queen, Arkansas, in 1959, and his mother, Lois, was a locally popular singer who opened concerts for various Sun Records stars in the '50s. She some...
At what age did Collin first perform publicly?

seven

...harmonize with her, and so Collin first performed publicly at the age of seven . As teenagers, he and Scott formed a countryrock outfit called the Wray...
When did the band begin recording independent singles?

1983

...da; the group also recorded several independentlabel singles starting in 1983 . Shortening their name to the Wrays, they signed with Mercury in 1986 an...
What label did the group sign with in 1986?

Mercury

... starting in 1983. Shortening their name to the Wrays, they signed with Mercury in 1986 and released two singles over the next two years, but nothing ...
What company did he sign a deal with in 1990?

Epic

... job that would support his new family but elected to stick it out, changing the spelling of his name and ultimately landing a deal with Epic in 1990....
What kind of aura does Collin Raye carry with him?

mysterious

...ide from his wellloved songs, Collin Raye carries around some sort of mysterious aura with him. So here are some facts that you probably didnt know ab...
What instrument did Collin's father play in Arkansas clubs?

guitar

...cording to other sources, his father was also a musician who played the guitar in local clubs in Arkansas. So it wasnt surprising that Raye would actu...
What is his estimated net worth?

6 million

...ic career as well. Hes now 60 years old with an estimated net worth of 6 million and regarded as one of the richest celebrities in his industry. He an...
What does Americana mean to Raye?

no rules

...ut doing an Americana record for years because, to me, Americana means no rules , Raye says. And thats exactly what I set out to do. Working with produ...
Who produced Scars?

David Fergie Ferguson

...s. And thats exactly what I set out to do. Working with producer David Fergie Ferguson (Johnny Cash, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson), Scars is Rayes fir...
What is Rayes first album of all new music in over a decade?

Scars

...ducer David Fergie Ferguson (Johnny Cash, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson), Scars is Rayes first album of all new music in over a decade. I want there to...
How many tracks did Raye write or cowrote on Scars?

12

...uld expect as well, Raye says. Really? As a result, Raye wrote or cowrote 12 of the 14 tracks on Scars. Most of the stuff I wrote was new, written jus...
What social issues did Raye tackle?

alcoholism and child abuse

...Raye used his songs to tackle difficult social issues such as alcoholism and child abuse . Over the course of his career Raye has proven his versatilit...
Where did Raye and his brother Scott grow up?

Arkansas

...t range from pure country to sophisticated pop balladry. Growing up in Arkansas , Raye and his brother Scott frequently performed with their mother, a ...
When did the Wray Brothers Band form?

late 1970s

... such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash when they came to town. In the late 1970s the siblings formed the Wray Brothers Band, enjoying a minor country ...
What was Raye's first album called?

All That I Can Be

...e was signed to Epic Records as a solo performer. His first album, All That I Can Be (1990), was a solid effort highlighted by Love, Me, which hit num...
When was All That I Can Be released?

1990

...to Epic Records as a solo performer. His first album, All That I Can Be ( 1990 ), was a solid effort highlighted by Love, Me, which hit number one on th...
In what year did Love Me hit number one?

1992

...t highlighted by Love, Me, which hit number one on the country charts in 1992 . The sentimental song, in which the narrator describes the death of his ...
What is the name of Raye's 1993 hit single?

In This Life

... funeralsits lyrics have often been carved in tombstones. On the hit In This Life (1993), in which a man ruminates upon his imminent wedding, Raye aga...
In what year did Raye release Little Rock?

1994

...ability to craft heartfelt, convincing songs marking life's passages. In 1994 Raye moved in a more challenging direction with Little Rock, an unsparin...
How many days has Raye been without a drink?

19

...ing to get his life on track. With lines such as I haven't had a drink in 19 days, Little Rock brought a new level of realism to country music, puttin...
Little Rock brought a new level of what to country music?

realism

...uch as I haven't had a drink in 19 days, Little Rock brought a new level of realism to country music, putting a human face on a misunderstood disease....