Eddie Ray

US record company executive, producer and songwriter, born on December 21, 1926 in Franklin, North Carolina.

Ray's music career started in 1946 when he worked for [url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Aladdin+Records]Aladdin Records[/url] after moving to Los Angeles. In 1954 he co-wrote "[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearts_of_Stone]Hearts Of Stone[/url]" along with [url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Rudy+Jackson+%283%29]Rudy Jackson[/url] and joined [url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Imperial]Imperial Records[/url] as National Director of Promotion and Sales the following year. In 1964, Ray joined [url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Capitol+Records]Capitol Records[/url] to work as A&R Director of [url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Tower]Tower Records[/url], Capitol's newly created subsidiary and served in the same capacity for the new [url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Uptown+%282%29]Uptown[/url] label, launched seven months later. Subsequently he has been working at COBURT Television Production (1969-1970) and [url=http://www.discogs.com/label/MGM+Records]MGM Records[/url] (1970-1974) before he settled in Memphis, Tennessee and became executive vice president and part owner of Sounds of Memphis Recording Studio and Record Production Company (SOM). In 1976 In 1976, Ray joined [url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Cream+Records+%284%29]Cream[/url]/[url=http://www.discogs.com/label/Hi+Records]HI Records[/url] as executive vice president and general manager. Ray was also responsible for the management of Cream/HI Records’ music publishing company, East Memphis Music, a former Stax Record music publishing company.