Newberry, South Carolina continues its fabulous reputation for bringing the world's best talent to the area. Friday, February 17, 2012, will be no exception as Country and Pop music icon Ray Price will be in town!
That's right, Ray Price, a true musical legend will perform an 8pm show at the widely acclaimed Newberry Opera House. The beautiful facility, which has a seating capacity of 418, has hosted many Country acts over the years but this event is one of exceptional quality. The box office informs that ticket sales have been brisk and that limited seating remains. It is advised to not delay in making a decision to attend. It will be a night of unregrettable entertainment!
Ray Price, born in Perryville, Texas on January 12, 1926, has enjoyed an outstanding career in the music industry. He is a guitarist, songwriter and singer known for his smooth baritone voice. This former U.S. Marine (1944-1946) began his singing career in Abilene, Texas with KRBC in 1948. The following year he joined Dallas's "Big D Jamboree", one of the nation's popular musical shows of the era. After deciding to take his career up a notch, Price moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he was rommates with the legendary Hank Williams, Sr. for a time. Upon the death of Williams, Price managed the Williams band known as The Drifting Cowboys. Later on, however, he formed his own band known as The Cherokee Cowboys. Over the years this band has included notable artists and musicians such as Johnny Paycheck, Darrell McCall, Johnny Bush, Roger Miller and Wilie Nelson. That is quite a talented backing of artists, to say the least.
In the 1950s, Price became one of the innovators of Honky Tonk music. His famed "4/4 Shuffle" musical arrangement style became synonymous with the music of the era. It is demonstrated on such recordings as "Crazy Arms". The songs "Talk To Your Heart" (1952) and "Release Me" (1954) are also examples of the arrangement. It should be noted that Price had the first success on the song "Relesae Me" which later became a signature song, of sorts, for Engelbert Humperdinck in 1967.
During Price's formative years of the 1950s, his own efforts of attaining success has opened the doors for many artists. Not only those artists who served in his band who went on to tremendous success but for budding songwriters, as well. Among those songwriters include two folks who are arguably the greates Country songwriters of all time-Bill Anderson and Harlan Howard. Anderson, who was a Columbia, South Carolina native, moved to Commerce, Georgia to pursue a radio career and attend the University of Georgia. He began dabbling in songwriting and made up his mind that is what he wished to do with his life. As the story goes, Anderson used to sit on the roof of his apartment house and pick the guitar and write songs. One of those penned gems was a song he entitled "City Lights" owing to the glow of the lights of Commerce in the evening. The song was pitched to Price who recorded it in 1958. The song and the songwriter became a hit, and the rest, as they say, is history. As for Harlan Howard, known as The Dean of Country Songwirters, let's say that Price provided a major springboard for his career. Howard, grew up in Kentucky listening to the Grand Ole Opry and longing to participate in the heart-felt emotion provided by the songs of the day. After a stint in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper, he moved to Los Angeles, California hoping to sell his songs. In 1959, Price, who was already enjoying some recording success, recorded Howard's "Heartaches By The Number". As with Anderson, this event opened many doors for Howard who went on to experience success up until his death in 2002. It should be noted that Anderson and Howard are both in the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame as well as the Country Music Hall of Fame.
As Price's career moved into the decades of the 1960s and 1970s, he became heavily involved with what would be called "The Nashville Sound". The style of music shifted from an acoustic type to one which utilized more arrangements involving horn and string sections, slower ballads and background singers. Artists like Price and the late Jim Reeves were instrumental in popularizing this style of music. It was during this era that Price recorded many of the songs for which he is most well known. Song titles include "I Won't Mention It Again", "She's Got To Be A Saint", "You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", "Night Life" and "Danny Boy" to name a few. His signature song, written by Kris Kristofferson, without a doubt is "For The Good Times". This song is the official song of Company A-1 of the Texas A & M Corps of Cadets. It is performed before many of the schools sporting events. With a resume like this, who could not be regarded as one of the most prolific entertainers of our time. A Ray Price show does not include a lot of flash or pizzazz, just a man singing hit after hit, standard after standard...songs that he has made such. His music doesn't have a moniker of Country or Pop anymore; it is universal in appeal.
Today, at age 86, the multiple award winning Price stays as active as ever, maybe even more so. He makes regular concert and Grand Ole Opry appearances. He is still actively recording and making personal appearances such as one most recently at the Willie Nelson New Year's Eve Party in the Dallas/Fort Woth, Texas area.
If you are interested in attending the show, as mentioned earlier, tickets are limited. Information may be obtained from the Newberry Opera House Box Office at (803) 276-6264. You may also visit the virtual site at www.newberryoperahouse.com. Tickets are $45 per person for the 8pm show. Enjoy, and let me know how it was!
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