Ray Downs

Raymond W. Downs (born October 24, 1944) is an American author as well as a former country music singer.

Downs was best known for his appearances on the syndicated Porter Wagoner television show. He also played for a couple of years with Country Music legend Marty Robbins opening shows on the road. After Robbinds death, Downes recorded a tribute song "Greatest Cowboy Of All" under the name Jason Williams. The tune charted at No. 26 on the Country Billboard Charts Hot C/W sides.

He is the youngest of three children born to James Orville Downs and Anne Marie Zink on October 24, 1944 in Abington, Pennsylvania. As an author Ray has written three novels and hundreds of short stories. At 13 years of age Ray's family moved from Pitman, New Jersey to Florida. He grew up in Broward County Florida, primarily Hollywood, Florida and Ft. Lauderdale. Musically Ray has recorded ten albums as well as a single on the "GREAT SOUTHERN" label. He is listed at BMI.^[1]

Downs also recorded six albums under the name Ray Stark — most notably, Country Music, A White Man's Blues with fellow artist Jack Dawkins for Alliance Records, a European label. He also released the album The Celebration of Love which was a European and Asian release on CBS Columbia Records. Ray also recorded several albums for Acropolis Records which were produced by Michael Richter (Sleeping With The Music), world renowned Pianist/Composer/Record Producer. Among them, This Old Photograph an album primarily made up from tunes that were written by Ray or Michael and many written by Ray and Michael together. Another was The Best of Ray Stark an Acropolis Records compilation album of Ray's recordings throughout the years. During the 60's Ray was a regular on The Mid-South Jamboree in Memphis, TN. He appeared on The Rhodes Show a weekly television show featuring the Rhodes Family, Dusty, Donna and Sandy, also from Memphis, TN. In 2008 Ray signed on with author Brian Snelson to do voice overs in the up-coming animated motion picture Shaturanga. Ray Downs is married to Theresa Sue Adams of Crestview, Florida. Ray and Theresa Sue currently live in rural South Georgia where he now spends his days writing short stories and novels.

Discography

East Meets West

• "Let Me Into Your Room"
• "If It Wasn't For The Money"
• "He Finally Made Up Her Mind"
• "World Without Music"
• "Somewhere In Between"
• "Who Are You Foolin Now"
• "Old Same Song"
• "If I Could Write A Song"
• "I'm Comin' Home"
• "Honky Tonk Woman"

Country Music, A White Mans Blues

by Stark & Dawkins

• "Country Music, A White Mans Blues"
• "White Oak"
• "Let It Be Me"
• "Scarlet Ribbons"
• "Ginny Come Lately"
• "Sounds Of Silence"
• "If I Could Write A Song"
• "Morning Dew"
• "She's Not Lisa" ( I'm Not Lisa )
• "Prodigal Son"
• "I Wonder If I Care As Much"
• "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"

Writer

Ray Downs is a novelist with three novels and hundreds of short stories to his credit, many about Mexico where he spent several years teaching English as a second language and Creative Writing at the University of Monterrey (UDEM) in Monterrey, Mexico. Downs has written three novels, Wind Across The Amazon, One More Mission and most recently The Grove.

References