| Ray Whitley | |
| Birth Name: | Robert Ray Whitley |
| Birth Date: | 22 November 1943 |
| Birth Place: | Columbus, Georgia, United States |
| Death Place: | Gainesville, Georgia, United States |
| Occupations: | Singer, Songwriter, Composer, Producer, Arranger, Performer |
| Years Active: | 1961-1970 |
| Label: | Vee Jay, Dunhill, Apt, Columbia, TRX, 123, Attarack, others |
Robert Ray Whitley (November 22, 1943 – May 5, 2013) was an American beach music composer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for composing hit songs recorded by The Tams and Guy Darrell, and he also released 14 of his own singles between 1961 and 1970.[1]
Whitely was born in Columbus, Georgia on November 22, 1943 to Robert S. and Willie Bell Whitley. Whitley was 14 when he formed his first band in his hometown.[2] Producer Felton Jarvis soon discovered him in an Atlanta High School.[2] Jarvis introduced Whitley to Atlanta music producer Bill Lowery, who saw Whitley's potential and signed him to a contract.[2]
Whitley's songwriting credits include "What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)" (which reached #9 on the Billboard charts), "I've Been Hurt", "Hey Girl, Don't Bother Me", "You Lied to Your Daddy", and "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" (co-written with J.R. Cobb of the Atlanta Rhythm Section) for The Tams.[1] [2] [3] [4] His compositions were also recorded by Billy Joe Royal, Tommy Roe, Guy Darrell, The Swinging Medallions, Bill Deal and the Rhondels, Mylon LeFevre and Sonia Evans.[1] [5]
Whitley toured nationally as a singer and performer, in addition to his work as a songwriter.[2] He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1991.[2] [6]
Later in his life, Whitley struggled with alcoholism and homelessness; as of 2011, he was living in a shelter in Gainesville, Georgia.[4] [7] Whitley died on May 5, 2013, after several months of illness.[8] Ray had one child, Christopher.
| Date | Performer | Title | Peak chart positions | Notes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [9] | US AC | US Country | US R&B | UK | |||||
| 12/1963 | 9 | 1 | ABC-Paramount 10502. | ||||||
| 03/1964 | The Tams | You Lied to Your Daddy | 70 | 27 | ABC-Paramount 10533. | ||||
| 07/1964 | The Tams | 41 | 10 | ABC-Paramount 10573. | |||||
| 10/1966 | Run, Run, Look, and See | 25 | Philips 40405. Written by Martin Cooper & Ray Whitley. | ||||||
| 04/1967 | I Found a Rainbow | 107 | Smash 2084. | ||||||
| 05/1968 | December's Children | Backwards and Forwards | 123 | World Pacific 77887. | |||||
| 09/1968 | The Tams | Trouble Maker | 118 | ABC 11128. | |||||
| 04/1969 | 35 | Heritage 812. | |||||||
| 08/1969 | Bill Deal & the Rhondels | What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am | 23 | Heritage 817. | |||||
| 07/1971 | The Tams | Hey Girl Don't Bother Me | 1 | ||||||
| 08/1973 | Guy Darrell | I've Been Hurt | 12 | ||||||
| 1976 | Larry Jon Wilson | Think I Feel a Hitchhike Coming On | 47 | 74 | Monument 8692. | ||||
| 1978 | What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am) | 44 | |||||||
| 08/1991 | Sonia Evans | 13 | 22 | I.Q./RCA 62246. Written by James Cobb & Ray Whitley. | |||||