Ray was born in Worcester, MA, in 1921. He began playing the banjo at age 10. At 14 he began playing with the, “ Roaming Cowboys” at small gigs in the Worcester area.

In 1935 Ray was a member of the Roman Cowboys. They were a small Hillbilly Band composed of six guys and won 1st prize on the Fred Allen Amateur Hour. The prize was $200.00 and a weeks engagement at the Roxy Theater, in NYC. In high school he learned to play the clarinet & sax. From there he moved on to play lead Alto with the Ambassadors Orchestra. Several members went on to play with the Big Bands of the 1940s.

Ray joined the Coast Guard in 1942 and almost immediately became a member of the Coast Guard orchestra in Rockland Maine. This unit eventually was shipped to the South Pacific as part of USO entertainment etc. I left the orchestra in 1944 and spent the next two years aboard ships including the USS El Paso.

He first heard the Statesmen in 1967 and, like his first introduction to the Rascals, was again overwhelmed. He 

didn’t get to know Doc well until he joined our chorus, The Connecticut Yankees Chorus, in 1997. I knew Don Beineman (Statesmen Bass) before I knew Doc because he directed my chorus, the Gateway Guardsmen. Since then he has sung with the Coastal Chordsmen & the Connecticut Yankees Chorus. He has been a member of five registered quartets all of which have competed in both division & district competitions. Ray sings baritone with our chapter quartet Smooth Blend.

When he retired in 1985 following along with his love of golf he was hired by a golf course in Trumbull, Ct., starting his 20th season this year. Singing each Wed. evening next to Doc Sause as well as the other great guys, he says is a thrill too wonderful to describe.

I joined our Society in 1963 and have sung barbershop ever since – 41years. With the exception of a few years hiatus from the society, not from singing barbershop, I’ve been a barbershop singer all those years. For over 20 years he has enjoyed the singing, friendships and good times as well as the hard work put into singing well in a Barbershop Chorus. He always enjoyed our style of music and I always will.