Ray Stevens

Ray Stevens ( born January 24, 1939 in Clarkdale, Georgia; actually Ray Ragsdale ) is an American singer in the 1960s and 1970s, predominantly with novelty songs great success celebrated in Europe.

Career

Stevens ' career began in 1956 as a DJ. The first success as a singer he had in 1961, he made ​​some of the song with the longest name ever to be listed on the U.S. charts. Jeremiah Peabody's Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green and Purple Pills ( " Jeremiah Peabody's polyunsaturated, fast-dissolving, fast-acting, great-tasting green and purple pills "). He thus reached 35th place

From then on, he scored numerous hits, including several million-seller. His breakthrough came in 1962 with the title Ahab The Arab, who reached number 5 of the U.S. charts. Other Top 20 hits were 1963 Harry the Hairy Ape and 1969 Gitarzan. In 1970, Stevens Everything Is Beautiful his first number 1 hit in 1974 with The Streak his second.

After his move to Mercury Records Monument Records to 1966, he also appeared repeatedly in the country charts in the U.S., but mainly with his from 1970, published on Barnaby Records recordings.

In 1981 he contributed to the soundtrack of the film On the highway the hell is going on (AKA The Cannonball Run) the title song Cannonball at and the title For the Hell of it. For the sequel On the highway go again ( 1984) ( The Cannonball hell Run II) was the song Cannonball also used.

In the German-speaking world, he became known especially through the songs Bridget the Midget ( The Queen of the Blues ) (1971 4th place in Austria ) and The Streak, which he referred in 1974 to the then fashionable racer.

Discography

Albums

Full Discography LP- see

  • He Thinks He's Ray Stevens ( 1984)

Singles ( selection)

Selection criterion: all the titles that could be placed in the U.S. in the top 20.

  • Ahab the Arab, 1962 ( U.S. # 5 )
  • Harry the Hairy Ape 1963 ( USA 17th)
  • Gitarzan 1969 ( U.S. No. 8 )
  • Everything Is Beautiful 1970 ( U.S. # 1, UK # 6 )
  • Bridget the Midget ( The Queen of the Blues ) 1971 ( 2 GB of memory, Austria Platz 4, Germany # 39 )
  • Turn Your Radio On 1971
  • The Streak 1974 ( U.S. # 1, UK # 1, Germany number 43 )
  • Misty 1975 ( U.S. number 14, UK number 2, Austria 11th, Grammy for the Arrangement)
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