Johnnie Ray Research Paper

How can a deaf person sing? One might ask this question about Johnnie Ray but yet he did it all. He wrote songs, sang them, and even saw some become big hits across the country. He was deaf, but he still chose a music career and succeeded. Johnnie Ray had to overcome many obstacles to become a successful musician. But how did he do it?

John Alvin Ray was born on January 10, 1927 in Hopewell, Oregon. (known as Salem today) He grew up on a farmhouse with an older sister named Elma. He loved music and was in Boy Scouts which is where he spent most of his time. At a Scout Jamboree, during a blanket toss session when he was 13, Johnnie was hit in the side of the head on his left ear. This caused him to become partially deaf in that ear. Later,
Singer LaVern Baker and her manager Al Green helped him with his early start and he signed a contract with Okeh the year that song came out. In 1951 he came out with two songs that were produced by Mitch Miller: Cry and The Little White Cloud That Cried. Cry was one one of his biggest hits in that era and proved to be a very popular song much later on too. It reached number one and stayed that way for eleven weeks. He also came out with songs Please, Mr. Sun, and Broken-Hearted. Both of these songs made the top ten in 1952 along with Walkin' My Baby Back Home. By now Johnnie had become very popular and had started getting roles in movies. His first film was an Irving Berlin musical, There's No Business Like Show Business, in 1954. His acting skills were mediocre; he was really there for the singing opportunity. Ray put 25 hits in the top thirty from 1951 to 1957. He kept on singing until his death even though he didn't have any hits after 1957. He sang only for enjoyment and the love of music. He died of liver failure due to alcohol and drug abuse. Johnnie died in Los Angeles at the age of 63 with no fanfare, in a hospital room on February 24th, 1990. (Johnnie Ray