| Background | solo_singer |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Herbert Raymond Pillow |
| Birth date | July 4, 1937[1][2] |
| Birth place | Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Death date | March 26, 2023 (aged 85) |
| Death place | Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Genre | Country |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1963–2018 |
| Label | Capitol, ABC, Plantation, Mega, Dot, MCA, First Generation[3] |
Herbert Raymond Pillow (July 4, 1937 – March 26, 2023) was an American country music singer, music publisher, and artists and repertoire (A&R) representative. In his career, he had 18 singles on the Billboard country songs chart, with his highest-peaking song being the number 9 single "I'll Take the Dog", a duet with Jean Shepard.[1] After charting for the last time in 1981, Pillow founded Sycamore Records with Larry McFadden,[1] and later worked in the A&R department of Capitol Records.
Pillow continued to perform as a member of the Grand Ole Opry and on popular classic country television programs such as Country's Family Reunion, which airs regularly in the United States on RFD-TV network.
Through his record label, Pillow released two albums, Ray Pillow Live and Country Class, the latter of which contained new material. Pillow retired in 2018.
Pillow was a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1966.[4][5]
Pillow died in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 26, 2023, at the age of 85.[6]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Single | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 1965 | Presenting Ray Pillow | — |
| 1966 | I'll Take the Dog (with Jean Shepard) | 11 |
| 1967 | Even When It's Bad, It's Good | — |
| 1969 | Ray Pillow Sings | — |
| People Music | — | |
| 1972 | Slippin' Around with Ray Pillow | — |
| 1975 | Countryfied | 46 |
| 1984 | One Too Many Memories | — |
| 1998 | Stars Of The Grand Ole Opry | |
| 2014 | Country Class | |
| 2017 | Ray Pillow Live | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country[3] | CAN Country | ||
| 1965 | "Take Your Hands Off My Heart" | 49 | — |
| "Thank You Ma'am" | 17 | — | |
| 1966 | "Common Colds and Broken Hearts" | 32 | — |
| "I'll Take the Dog" (with Jean Shepard) | 9 | — | |
| "Volkswagen" | 25 | — | |
| "Mr. Do It Yourself" (with Jean Shepard) | 25 | — | |
| 1967 | "I Just Want to Be Alone" | 56 | — |
| "Gone with the Wine" | 62 | — | |
| 1968 | "Wonderful Day" | 51 | — |
| 1969 | "Reconsider Me" | 38 | — |
| 1972 | "Since Then" | 62 | — |
| "She's Doing It to Me Again" | 66 | — | |
| 1974 | "Countryfied" | 80 | 85 |
| "Livin' in the Sunshine of Your Love" | 77 | — | |
| 1975 | "Roll On, Truckers" | 100 | — |
| 1978 | "Who's Gonna Tie My Shoes" | 97 | — |
| 1979 | "Super Lady" | 82 | — |
| 1981 | "One Too Many Memories" | 82 | — |
References
- ^ Sandra Brennan. "Ray Pillow biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ Colin Larkin (ed.) (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. First ed. Guinness Publishing. p. 1960. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 326. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "Ray Pillow". Grand Ole Opry. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
- ^ "Opry Member List PDF". April 23, 2012. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
- ^ "Ray Pillow Obituary". legacy.com. March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
External links
- Official website (not updated since 2010. Jim Glaser is listed as Webmaster; Glaser died in 2019.)
- Ray Pillow at IMDb