Raymond J. Johnson, Jr. is a character created by comedian Bill Saluga.
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Saluga's shtick as Ray J. Johnson is to become annoyed when addressed as "Mr. Johnson", exclaiming in a loud voice, "My name is Raymond J. Johnson, Jr. Now you can call me Ray, or you can call me J, or you can call me Johnny, or you can call me Sonny, or you can call me Junie, or you can call me Junior; now you can call me Ray J, or you can call me RJ, or you can call me RJJ, or you can call me RJJ Jr." ultimately ending with, "but you doesn't hasta call me Johnson!"
The spiel got more widespread attention in the late 70s in a series of commercials for Anheuser-Busch Natural Light Beer. Saluga appeared alongside comedian/pitchman Norm Crosby echoing (in a roundabout way) Norm's advice to unknowing customers: "Well, y'doesn't hasta call it Anheuser Busch Natural Light Beer, and y'doesn't hasta call it "Busch Natural". Just say "Natural"!" This before launching into the "You can call me Ray" tirade at the mere mention of the word "name".
Capitalizing on the relative fame of Raymond J. Johnson, Jr., in 1979, Saluga released a disco single called "Dancin' Johnson."
Saluga performed Raymond J. Johnson, Jr. on This Is Tom Jones, The David Steinberg Show, Sanford and Son as well as Redd Foxx's eponymous variety show,[1] and later on television commercials for Anheuser-Busch's Natural Light beer.
Ray J. Johnson was mentioned in 1993 and again in 1999 (as Ray Jay Johnson) on the TV show The Simpsons. He was also proclaimed 'dead' on the Chicago sports radio show "Boers and Bernstein".
In the 1993 episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled",[2] Krusty the Klown mentions that the only bad show he put on was when Johnson co-hosted, saying "That thing was funny for about three seconds." Lisa Simpson shared the same sentiment in the 1999 episode "Mom and Pop Art",[3] claiming "I'm sick of him already" after hearing Homer recite Johnson's bit ("You can call him Ray. Or you can call him Jay. Or you can call him Ray-Jay but you doesn't have to call him -". In 2002, Saluga himself appeared as Johnson in the episode "The Old Man and the Key",[4] singing (in a Branson, Missouri, theater), "You can call me Ray / Or you can call me Jay / Just don't call me washed-up / I do three shows a day." In the episode "Brother's Little Helper"[5] Homer asks whether something is "Ray J. funny or O. J. funny?"
Bob Dylan quoted Johnson's shtick in the 1979 song "Gotta Serve Somebody" ("You may call me R.J./ you may call me Ray…") on the Slow Train Coming LP.
In a season 7 episode of Garfield and Friends titled "Alley Katta and the 40 Thieves,"[6] the sultan character, voiced by Bill Saluga, is always saying "you don't have to call me your highness" in a variant of Saluga's Johnson schtick, much to the annoyance of the other characters.
Johnson can also be glimpsed briefly, via a television commercial, in the film Being There.
The bit is mentioned every time a caller on the Opie and Anthony Radio Show has the Name, Ray, Jay or Johnny.
The band Scatterbrain quoted Johnson's routine in their 1990 song "Don't Call Me Dude".
Svengoolie's skull sidekick is based on Ray Jay.
In a post-season-13 episode of King of the Hill, "Just Another Manic Kahn-Day,"[7] Bobby Hill struggles to comprehend why the show's middle-aged characters consider Ray J. Johnson funny. After forcing himself to listen to a Ray J. Johnson vinyl record in his room multiple times, Bobby finally breaks out in epiphanous laughter.
In the 2010 American Dad Christmas Episode, Roger meets a moonshiner named Bobb Todd Williams. Bobb Todd introduces himself using a parody of the Ray J. Johnson schtick.