Susan Raye
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Susan Raye | ||
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 Susan Raye
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Susan Raye | |
| Born | October 8, 1944 | |
| Origin | Eugene, Oregon | |
| Genre(s) | Country, | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Years active | 1968–Present | |
| Label(s) | Capitol Records United Artists Records |
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| Associated acts |
Buck Owens, Donna Fargo Loretta Lynn | |
| Website | Susan Raye Unofficial Site | |
Susan Raye (born October 8, 1944 in Eugene, Oregon) is an American Country Music Singer. She was the protegee of Buck Owens, and scored several hit duets with him in the 1970s and was also a leading solo female vocalist in country music for much of the 1970's.
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[edit] Early Life & Rise to Fame
Susan Raye was born in Eugene, Oregon in 1944. In high school, Raye sung with a Rock band. Soon however, the band called it quits, and Raye decided to try to make it on her own. She auditioned for a local radio station. Not only did she find work at the radio station, but she also landed a job as a disc jockey. She started performing on a Portland, Oregon, television show called Hoedown, and eventually became the host of the show. During this time, she also worked at local clubs. It was at one of these local clubs, Raye met the manager of Buck Owens, Jack McFadden. He liked what he heard and persuaded Raye to come audition and meet the Country star at his home in Bakersfield, California, the home of the Bakersfield Sound, which Owens helped develop. Owens too liked her, and offered her a slot on his upcoming tour. Raye accepted and soon moved out to Bakersfield, California.
[edit] Recording Career With Buck Owens
In 1968, after accepting Owens' offer to move down to California, she began touring with Owens. In 1970, the pair released a series of singles to the Country charts. All three of the singles were hits for them. Among their biggest hits together was the song "The Great White Horse", which was a Top Ten Country hit in 1970.
In 1970, Owens and Raye had two other top 20 hits together called "We're Gonna Get Together" and "Togetherness". During this time, Raye also performed on the Country telivison program, Hee Haw. She remained on the show for nine years.
[edit] Height of Her Career As a Solo Act In the 70s
Susan Raye's first solo record "Maybe if I Close My Eyes" in 1969 was not a chart success but her followup record, a cover of Jackie DeShannon's hit "Put a Little Love In Your Heart" made the Country Top 30 in 1970. She released another single that made the Country Top 40 that year called "One Night Stand". She scored her first top 10 solo record that year with "Willy Jones", a song written by Owens.
"L.A. International Airport", a Leanne Scott composition, went to the Top Ten of the Country charts in 1971, peaked at #53 in the Hot 100 pop singles, and was an international pop hit for Raye in many countries, notably Australia where it topped the charts. "Pitty, Pitty, Patter", written by Bob Morris, peaked at #6 later that year. Susan Raye became the first woman to become a major country artist without recording in Nashville, a feat previously accomplished only by male stars like Owens and Merle Haggard.
In 1972, Raye had her biggest hit on the Country charts with "(I've Got a) Happy Heart", which went all the way to #3 on the Country charts in 1972. She also hit the Top 10 that year with My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own, a remake of the Connie Francis pop classic.. Raye also scored a string of Top 20 hits between 1972 and 1974 including "Wheel of Fortune" (1972), "Cheating Game" (1973), "Love Sure Feels Good In My Heart" (1973), and a remake of "Stop the World (And Let Me Off)" in 1974.
Susan Raye was nominated by the Academy of Country Music three times as "Top Female Vocalist". Raye married Owens' drummer, Jerry Wiggins in 1972. They have been married for over 30 years and are the parents of six children. In 1975, she had her first Top ten hit since 1972 with the song "Whatcha Gonna Do With a Dog Like That".
[edit] Later Career & Life Today
The Raye/Owens collaboration ended in 1975 with the death of Owens' good friend and harmony partner, Don Rich, which caused Owens to go into semi-retirement. Raye signed on to United Artists Records in 1976 but while all four of her releases for the label charted, none of the singles cracked the top 50. In 1978, she decided to retire to devote more time to her family.
Susan Raye has also remained a devoted Christian. She went to college to obtain a degree in psychology in the early 1980's. She made a small comeback in 1985, recording two albums as well as two charting singles. She decided to continue her studies rather than build on her chart return and became a successful Christian psychologist. She has been completely retired from show business since 1986.
Raye made a very rare public appearance August 6, 2003 when she was a guest of honor at the 75th anniversary of the Los Angeles International Airport where she took to the stage and performed her now classic hit of the same name [1].
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | U.S. Country Singles | U.S. Pop Singles | Album | |
| 1970 | "The Great White Horse" (with Buck Owens) | #8 | - | The Great White Horse | |
| 1970 | "Togetherness" (with Buck Owens) | #12 | - | We're Gonna Get Together | |
| 1970 | "We're Gonna Get Together" (with Buck Owens) | #13 | - | We're Gonna Get Together | |
| 1970 | "Put a Little Love In Your Heart" | #30 | - | One Night Stand | |
| 1970 | "One Night Stand" | #35 | - | One Night Stand | |
| 1971 | "L.A. International Airport" | #9 | #54 | Willy Jones | |
| 1971 | "Willy Jones" | #10 | - | Willy Jones | |
| 1971 | "Pitty, Pitty, Patter" | #6 | - | Pitty, Pitty, Patter | |
| 1972 | "(I've Got a) Happy Heart" | #3 | - | Pitty, Pitty, Patter | |
| 1972 | "My Heart Has a Mind Of Its Own" | #10 | - | My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own | |
| 1972 | "Wheel of Fortune" | #16 | - | Wheel of Fortune | |
| 1972 | "A Song to Sing" | #44 | - | My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own | |
| 1973 | "Cheating Game" | #18 | - | Cheating Game | |
| 1973 | "Love Sure Feels Good In My Heart" | #17 | - | Love Sure Feels Good In My Heart | |
| 1973 | "Plastic Trains, Paper Planes" | #23 | - | Plastic Trains, Paer Plains | |
| 1974 | "Stop the World (And Let Me Off)" | #18 | - | Singing Susan Raye | |
| 1974 | "When You Get Back From Nashville" | #57 | - | Cheating Game | |
| 1974 | "You Can Sure See It From Here" | #49 | - | Singing Susan Raye | |
| 1975 | "Whatcha Gonna Do With a Dog Like That" | #9 | - | 16 Greatest Hits |
