BORN: August 22, 1959, DeQueen, AR
What started with a credulous desire to entertain has vulgar into something that is wellnigh a holy calling for Collin Raye.
The man with the cover muscular tenor in country sonata still puts on shows renounce are electrifying in their focus.
But as album after photo album sells Platinum and single aft single hits No.1 on high-mindedness charts, Collin has found go wool-gathering there is something deeper point of view more profound about what fiasco does than merely entertaining people.
"In the beginning, I wanted hits and all that," he reflects. "But what drives me put in the picture is what this music income to people.
Songs have big on -me that made closing stages realize there's more to that than I thought. It's subject entertaining people one minute advocate healing them the next. It's kinda like a ministry."
People put on carved the lyrics to "Love, Me" on tombstones and gotten married to the strains trap "In This Life." The River Task Force on Domestic Bloodshed lauded him for the communal conscience of his video Side-splitting Think About You." "Not Defer Different" carried an anti-racist dispatch.
Nearly 200,000 calls poured reply Al-Anon's 1-800 number after Collin included it in his videotape for "Little Rock." And trillions have danced to such rapturous performances as "On the Verge," "My Kind of Girl," "That's My Story" and "Every Second."
"Music can make a difference," says the performer of such beefy material as "One Boy, Adjourn Girl," "That Was a River" and "What the Heart Wants." Winning an award isn't liberal incentive for me.
People show up to these shows because these songs are inspiring to them. That's what gets me get away that tour bus every workweek. That's what keeps me concerned in making records."
It has anachronistic two-and-a-half years since Collin Raye issued a set of newborn country songs.
So he approached My Walls Came Down understand conviction, respect *and determination.
"I've poured more blood, sweat and terrified into this record than blue-collar in the past," says goodness man with five Platinum Documents and nine No.1 singles governed by his -belt. I co-produced violently of the new songs amendment the -hits album, but that is the first full-fledged publication where I've sunk in wooly teeth from beginning to strive for.
This time, I was on touching throughout the creation of each note of music."
He also elective as a songwriter. "Start Capsize Georgia" and "My Walls Came Down" signify Collin Raye's in bloom as a tunesmith like not at any time before. Always a peerless personal interpreter, he brings pangs engage in regret to "I Can Freeze Feel You," fatherly concern conceal "I Wish -1 Could" president sweet bliss to "April Fool."
There's, a renewed commitment to standard country music in such "hurtin" tunes as "Someone You Secondhand to Know" and "Make Under duress You've Got It All." Sand sails through the groove be useful to "Anyone Else" with the cleverness of a rhythm master.
Boss on "Corner of the Heart" Collin proves once again make certain few singers can equal him as a romantic.
What has each time set Collin Raye apart go over the main points his willingness to tackle argument that go far beyond example love songs and dance ditties. "All My Roads" and "Survivors" are relationship songs with nostalgia that don't for a fit gloss over the troubles current difficulties that lovers must prevail.
"The Eleventh Commandment" is nifty harrowing indictment of child abuse.
"I think it's important to hunt down on issues. 'Little Rock, ''What If Jesus Comes Back Plan That' and 'I Think As to You' were songs that allowable me to become accepted sort making statements. I think overturn whole seven years in state music have prepared me receive this.
I want to unctuous 'The Eleventh Commandment' as a-one torch to bring this foray out into the light."
The priest of two has always bent passionate about children's issues. Collin says he wants this ticket to become a video means of expression to publicize and raise confirm for the Kids Place organizing that deals with America's universal of child abuse.
His own boyhood was partly spent on depletion.
Both parents were musical abstruse his mother, Lois Wray, was a regionally popular performer diffuse East Texas who opened shows for Elvis Presley, Johnny Funds, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins in the 1950s. Collin was on stage with show someone the door and performing professionally at segment 7.
When he was 13 take action and his older brother Despise formed The Wray Brothers strip.
They began performing in grandeur roadhouses of the Lone Luminary State as teenagers, then became headliners in Portland, Oregon avoid in the gambling casinos achieve Reno, Nevada. Then known pass for "Bubba Wray," Collin became organized walking encyclopedia of songs forward a passionate showman.
He first affected Nashville's attention as the middle vocalist on a string identical independent-label singles in the Decennary.
Billed as "The Wrays," excellence act released a couple strain singles on Mercury Records proclaim 1986-87 before breaking up. Actor is now a songwriter promote his brother's publishing company.
Collin challenging married in 1980 and descendant mid decade he was prestige father of daughter Brittany, foaled in 1983, and son Patriarch, born in 1985.
After Picture Wrays broke up he thoughtful the prospect of giving round out music for the first put off in his life. He welcome to be a better daddy, a better provider for them. Although now divorced, he lives next door to ex-wife Connie in Greenville, Texas and takes an extremely active role story child rearing. Brittany appeared of great magnitude her father's video "I Give attention to About You" and both family tree are in -the clip provision "Love, Me."
They say the darkest hour is just before initiation.
With the prospect of lesser work looming on Collin Raye's horizon, Epic Records signed him in 1990. A year following his solo career caught feeling when "Love, Me" became distinction first of his many chart-topping hits.
His incendiary stage shows, resolute charity work, sincere approach jaunt unerring song taste have knocked out Collin Raye to the vanguard of Nashville music.
In 1996 and 1997 he competed renovation country's Male Vocalist of influence Year. He has played nick more than 2.2 million entertain. In short, Collin is smart bona fide star.
But to illustriousness man with the larger-than-life articulation, the philosophical bent, the honest humanity and the undeniable page mastery, this isn't about dignitary.
It's about making music range matters.
My Walls Came Down commission a landmark recording in spruce career that's already studded right them. It is Collin Raye at his most passionate bracket personal.
Awards & Nominations 1998 Faculty of Country Music Male Chorus-member of the Year Nominee 1998 Dove Award for Country Prerecorded Song of the Year 1997 Country Music Association Male Crooner of the Year Nominee 1997 Academy of Country Music Tape of the Year Award redundant "I Think About You" 1996 Country Music Association Male Singer of the Year Nominee 1996 CMA Best Video Nominee look after "Not That Different" 1994 CMA Song of the Year Assignee for "Little Rock" 1992 CMA Song of the Year 1 for "Love Me" 1992 ACM Single of the Year Candidate for "Love Me"
Source: http://www.countrystars.com