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Country Spark: Michael Ray headlines Freedom Fourth at Balloon Fiesta Park
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Country music is a family affair for Michael Ray.
His grandfather and family performed in a band that he would later join. It was not about the fame and fortune for Ray鈥檚 grandfather. It was for the love of country music. Ray鈥檚 grandfather played four nights a week for free.
鈥淢y grandpa was never getting paid,鈥� Ray said. 鈥淗e鈥檇 get off work, and my grandma would have his guitar and amp ready and we鈥檇 all leave.鈥�
Ray鈥檚 grandparents introduced him to the country greats. He heard their music on the radio or watched as they performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Ray would later go on to perform at the Opry in April 2015. He paid homage to his grandfather, who passed a few months before his debut, by playing his grandfather鈥檚 Gibson 335 guitar that he had played for about 60 years.
鈥淚 played 鈥楪reen, Green Grass of Home,鈥� Porter Wagoner鈥檚 version of that song, which is an older song that I grew up playing with my family鈥檚 band, one of my grandfather鈥檚 favorites,鈥� Ray said. 鈥淚t was kind of like he was there with me.... Obviously, it was a pretty heavy moment for me and my family. I look over and my dad, my uncle, my grandma鈥檚 in a wheelchair with Ricky Skaggs, just standing next to them.鈥�
Skaggs, an inductee of the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, walked up to Ray prior to his performance to offer some words of wisdom.
鈥淩icky came up with me, and he goes, 鈥楬ow you feeling, buddy?,鈥� Ray said. 鈥淚 go, 鈥業鈥檓 pretty nervous.鈥� And he goes, 鈥楪ood, you should always be when you play here.鈥� And I remember that. And it wasn鈥檛 like, 鈥楧on鈥檛 be nervous,鈥� and like, 鈥榊ou can do this.鈥� It鈥檚 like, be nervous knowing that for that 15 minutes or 20 minutes, however long those three songs that you have on that stage, you鈥檙e representing country music in the Opry. You know, like it should always be that honor. It should never be normal. It should always be something that you kind of have that little nervous bug in your stomach.鈥�
Ray has now played the Opry more than 75 times and each time is nervous and amazed to be performing there.
鈥淵ou grow up watching (the Opry) and all of a sudden you鈥檙e there,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty mind blowing when you go there... They鈥檝e got all these historical pictures and different things in the back so it鈥檚 cool to see like, oh, there鈥檚 Hank (Williams Sr.) and there鈥檚 Elvis and all these other guys. That picture was taken right there. It鈥檚 pretty wild.鈥�
Over the years, Ray has been able to meet some of the country artists he grew up admiring including John Conlee, Mark Wills, Vince Gill, Lee Greenwood, Loretta Lynn and Charley Pride.
鈥淚 wish my grandparents were still here to meet them, but it鈥檚 cool that I get to meet these guys and tell them their influence on me,鈥� Ray said.
Ray is widely known for his No. 1 songs, 鈥淭hink a Little Less,鈥� 鈥淲hiskey And Rain,鈥� 鈥淜iss You in the Morning鈥� and 鈥淥ne That Got Away.鈥� He said the process of writing music has changed significantly over the years and he has adjusted accordingly.
鈥淣ow what we鈥檙e doing is going in and cutting four or five songs and then releasing them every so many weeks,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like you鈥檙e still getting an album, but releasing one song at a time every four to six weeks. We鈥檙e going back in, hopefully soon, where I鈥檓 writing a lot now, and getting a lot of songs sent to me by songwriters that are friends of mine, you know that are writing every day, while we鈥檙e out on the road touring and doing our thing. So it鈥檚 that fun part of the process. It鈥檚 also stressful a little bit, because you鈥檙e listening to these songs, and then you鈥檙e listening to songs that you wrote, that beginning stage is such a fun, creative place.鈥�
Ray said he has a good team of songwriter friends who help him navigate the songwriting process. He said once they are able to collect a group of songs that represent this point in his life that he and his band will get into the studio to record.鈥�
鈥淭he songwriter community has really taken a big hit financially and just as a whole,鈥� Ray said. 鈥淭here used to be a whole lot more staff writers than there are now and it鈥檚 just the way the music business is changing. These men and women are writing every day. I know people that write two or three times a day. So it鈥檚 always cool to hear those songs. And I鈥檓 such a songwriter fan, you know, being a songwriter, but also just a fan of songwriters in the creative process. And so I love listening and then if I can cut an outside song, that is a hit for me, but also helps the songwriter pay their bills and live their dream as well and continue what they鈥檝e moved to town to do then it鈥檚 kind of a win for everybody.鈥�
Freedom Fourth eventgoers will get to enjoy Ray鈥檚 music during the Independence Day celebration on Thursday, July 4 at Balloon Fiesta Park. Ray takes the stage at 7:45 p.m. with fireworks starting at 9:15 p.m. He will be preceded by performances by DeNankius at 4 p.m., Second 2 Last at 5:15 p.m., and the Memphis P Tails at 6:30 p.m. A 4th of July Ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m.
鈥淛uly 4 has always been one of my favorite holidays,鈥� Ray said. 鈥淚 grew up in a family that鈥檚 mainly veterans and first responders. I grew up loving our country and loving the holiday. And growing up in Florida, it鈥檚 very hot in July, so all the memories of Fourth of July is all me and all my family getting together and making slip and slides down a hill or jumping in the pool or just playing football. You know, my grandparents, having their guitars out and playing music... I鈥檝e got a lot of great family memories of the Fourth of July.鈥�
