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'{{About||the baseball player|Colin Rea}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Collin Raye | image = Collin Raye by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Raye performing in Washington, D.C. in October 2011. | background = solo_singer | alias = Bubba Wray | birth_name = Floyd Elliot Wray<ref name="official">{{cite web|url=http://www.collinraye.com/about|title=About|work=Collin Raye official website|accessdate=29 June 2012}}</ref><!--some sources erroneously report birth name as Floyd Elliott Wray or Floyd Collin Wray--> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|08|22}}<ref name="official"/><!--some sources erroneously report birth date as August 22, 1959--> | birth_place = [[De Queen, Arkansas]], [[United States|U.S.]] | origin = [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]], U.S. | instrument = {{hlist|[[Singing|Vocals]]|[[guitar]]|[[bass guitar]]}} | genre = [[Country music|Country]] | years_active = 1983–present | label = {{hlist|[[Epic Records|Epic Nashville]]|Aspirion|Country Roads|Starpointe|Saguaro Road}} | associated_acts = [[The Wrays]] | website = {{URL|http://www.collinraye.com}} }} '''Floyd Elliot Wray''' (born August 22, 1960) is an American [[country music]] singer, known professionally as '''Collin Raye''', and previously as '''Bubba Wray'''. Under the latter name, he recorded as a member of the band [[The Wrays]] between 1983 and 1987. He made his solo debut in 1991 as Collin Raye with the album ''[[All I Can Be]]'', which produced his first Number One hit in "[[Love, Me]]". ''All I Can Be'' was the first of four consecutive albums released by Raye to achieve platinum [[certification]] in the United States for sales of one million copies each. Raye maintained several Top Ten hits throughout the rest of the decade and into 2000. 2001's ''Can't Back Down'' was his first album that did not produce a Top 40 country hit, and he was dropped by his record label soon afterward. He did not record another studio album until 2005's ''Twenty Years and Change'', released on an independent label. Between 1991 and 2007, Raye charted 30 singles on the U.S. country charts; he has also charted twice on the Adult Contemporary format as a duet partner on two [[Jim Brickman]] songs. Four of Raye's singles have reached Number One on the ''Billboard'' country music charts: 1992's "Love, Me" and "In This Life", 1994's "My Kind of Girl", and 1998's "I Can Still Feel You". He has also recorded a total of eleven studio albums, counting a Christmas album and a compilation of lullabies, in addition to releasing a Greatest Hits compilation, a live album, and a live CD/DVD package. His most recent album, ''[[Never Going Back]]'', was released via Saguaro Road Records on April 28, 2009. ==Early years== Floyd Collin Wray was born in [[De Queen, Arkansas]], on August 22, 1960.<ref name="official"/> His mother, Lois Wray, was a local musician; in the 1950s, she served as an opening act for several [[Sun Records]] artists, including [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Johnny Cash]] and [[Carl Perkins]].<ref name="cmt">{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/raye_collin/bio.jhtml |title=Collin Raye: Biography |accessdate=2007-11-02 |work=CMT.com}}</ref> Later, she became a solo musician in her own right; she would occasionally bring both Collin and his brother Scott onstage to sing harmony vocals.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p1780|pure_url=yes}} |title=allmusic ((( Collin Raye > Biography))) |accessdate=2007-11-02 |last=Huey |first=Steve |work=Allmusic}}</ref> By the 1980s, the two brothers began a country-rock band called the Wray Brothers Band, in which Collin assumed the stage name Bubba Wray.<ref name="allmusic"/> The Wray Brothers Band performed primarily in the state of [[Texas]]; Corvallis, Oregon; and later in [[Reno, Nevada]]; eventually releasing singles on independent labels. By 1986, the band (which had shortened its name to [[The Wrays]]) signed to [[Mercury Records]], releasing four singles. After the singles performed poorly on the charts, The Wrays disbanded.<ref name="allmusic"/> ==Solo career== ===''All I Can Be''=== After altering the spelling of his last name to Raye, he was signed to a record deal with [[Epic Records]] in 1990.<ref name="allmusic"/> His debut single, "All I Can Be (Is a Sweet Memory)", entered the charts in 1991, reaching a peak of No.&nbsp;29 on the ''Billboard'' [[Hot Country Singles & Tracks]] charts.<ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|year=2008|page=341|isbn=0-89820-177-2}}</ref> Raye's first album, also titled ''[[All I Can Be]]'', was released soon afterward. The follow-up single, a ballad co-written by [[Skip Ewing]] and titled "[[Love, Me]]," reached number 1 on the country music charts in early 1992, holding the peak position for three weeks. ''All I Can Be'' was then [[music recording sales certification|certified platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA). The album's final single was "[[Every Second]]," which peaked at No.&nbsp;2 on ''Billboard''.<ref name="whitburn"/> ===''In This Life'' and ''Extremes''=== Raye's second album, titled ''[[In This Life (Collin Raye album)|In This Life]]'', was released in 1992. The album's [[In This Life (Collin Raye song)|title track]], which served as its lead-off single, spent two weeks at number 1 and crossed over to the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] charts with a peak of number 21. In late 1992, Raye made an appearance on the [[Carl Weathers]] television drama series "[[Street Justice]]", where he gave a live performance of "In This Life". The second season episode, entitled "Country Justice", was directed by [[David Winning]]. The album produced three additional Top Ten country hits in "[[I Want You Bad (And That Ain't Good)]]", "[[Somebody Else's Moon]]", and "[[That Was a River]]",<ref name="whitburn"/> in addition to achieving his second platinum certification. ''[[Extremes (album)|Extremes]]'', Raye's third album, was released in 1993. It was his first to be produced by [[Paul Worley]] and Ed Seay, the latter of whom would serve as Raye's co-producer until 2000. The lead single, "[[That's My Story (song)|That's My Story]]", was co-written by [[Lee Roy Parnell]], who recorded for [[Arista Nashville]] at the time. Following it was "[[Little Rock (Collin Raye song)|Little Rock]]", a song about a recovering alcoholic.<ref name="oldies">{{cite web |url=http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Collin-Raye.html |title=Collin Raye Biography |accessdate=2007-11-02 |work=Oldies.com}} From Larkin, Colin, ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music''.</ref> The song's accompanying music video also promoted [[Al-Anon]], an international support group for friends and family of alcoholics.<ref name="allmusic"/> Also released from the album were the Top 10 hits "[[Man of My Word]]", "[[My Kind of Girl]]", and "[[If I Were You (Collin Raye song)|If I Were You]]". "My Kind of Girl" became Raye's third number 1 hit, while the other two singles reached Top 10 as well.<ref name="whitburn"/> ===''I Think About You'' and ''The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits''=== ''[[I Think About You]]'' was the title of Raye's fourth album. Released in 1995, it produced six singles overall and became Raye's fourth consecutive platinum-certified album.<ref name="oldies"/> Of the singles, the first three all reached Top 5: "[[One Boy, One Girl]]", "[[Not That Different]]", and the [[I Think About You (song)|title track]], whose music video won a Video of the Year award from the [[Academy of Country Music]].<ref name="dequeen">{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansasmediaroom.com/news-releases/listings/display.asp?id=352 |title=Collin Raye Homecoming Concert Slated for June 20 in DeQueen |accessdate=2007-11-02 |last=Taylor |first=Jim |date=2003-05-09 |work=Arkansas Media Room |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113011218/http://www.arkansasmediaroom.com/news-releases/listings/display.asp?id=352 |archivedate=2007-11-13 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> While "Not That Different" was climbing the charts, the album track "[[What If Jesus Comes Back Like That]]" received unsolicited airplay which brought it as high as number 57.<ref name="whitburn"/> After "I Think About You", "[[Love Remains (song)|Love Remains]]" peaked at number 12, followed by an official release of "What If Jesus Comes Back Like That" which achieved a peak of number 21. The album's sixth and final single was "[[On the Verge (song)|On the Verge]]", at number 2.<ref name="whitburn"/> In 1996, Raye also released a Christmas album titled ''[[Christmas: The Gift]]''. He also appeared on [[Stars and Stripes Vol. 1]], a [[Beach Boys]] album featuring lead vocals by country musicians. A year later, his first Greatest Hits package was issued; titled ''[[The Best of Collin Raye: Direct Hits]]'', it comprised several of his hit singles from the past five years, as well as four new songs, of which three released as singles. "[[What the Heart Wants]]" and "[[Little Red Rodeo]]" both reached Top Five on the country music charts, while "The Gift", a collaboration with [[Jim Brickman]] and [[Susan Ashton]], was a top 5 hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. The album also included a cover of [[Journey (band)|Journey]]'s "[[Open Arms (Journey song)|Open Arms]]", with Raye's version reaching a peak of number 70 from unsolicited airplay.<ref name="whitburn"/> ''Direct Hits'' received a gold certification from the RIAA for selling 500,000 copies in the United States. ===''The Walls Came Down''=== ''[[The Walls Came Down]]'' was the title of Raye's fifth studio album. Released in 1998, it produced his fourth and final ''Billboard'' number 1 single in "[[I Can Still Feel You]]".<ref name="allmusic"/> "[[Someone You Used to Know]]" and the [[Radney Foster]]-penned "[[Anyone Else]]" were both Top Five hits as well. "Start Over Georgia", the fourth single (co-written by Raye's brother), peaked at No.&nbsp;39. Also included on ''The Walls Came Down'' was a ballad entitled "The Eleventh Commandment", in which Raye addressed the issue of [[child abuse]]. Although not released as a single, "The Eleventh Commandment" was made into a music video, which featured a number for a child abuse hotline at the end.<ref name="eleven">{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1475789/20030806/raye_collin.jhtml |title=Raye Makes A Difference |accessdate=2007-11-02 |date=1998-09-11 |work=CMT.com}}</ref> The same year, he appeared on compilation CD ''Tribute To Tradition'' (released on Columbia label) with cover versions of "Cold Cold Heart" (country classic recorded by [[Hank Williams]] in 1957) and "Honky Tonk Heroes (Like Me)" (a major hit for [[Waylon Jennings]] in 1973, written by [[Billy Joe Shaver]]). Raye duets with [[Joe Diffie]] on the latter song. In late 1999, Raye sang backing vocals on [[Phil Vassar]]'s debut single "[[Carlene (Phil Vassar song)|Carlene]]".<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=Phil Vassar |others=Phil Vassar |year=2000 |type=CD booklet |publisher=Arista Nashville |id=18891}}</ref> ===2000-2005=== Raye released two albums in 2000: ''[[Counting Sheep (album)|Counting Sheep]]'', an album consisting of lullabies for his children, and ''[[Tracks (Collin Raye album)|Tracks]]''. The first single release from ''Tracks'', "[[Couldn't Last a Moment]]", was a top 5 hit on the country charts. "Tired of Loving This Way", which followed, was a duet with singer and actress [[Bobbie Eakes]]. Although it was Raye's first single to miss the Top 40 entirely, it provided Eakes with her only appearance on the country music charts.<ref name="tracks">{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1473140/20030623/raye_collin.jhtml |title=Collin Raye Makes "Tracks" to Turn Over a New Leaf |accessdate=2007-11-02 |date=2000-05-08 |work=CMT.com}}</ref> "She's All That" and "You Still Take Me There" were also released, but they failed to make top 40 as well.<ref name="whitburn"/> ''[[Can't Back Down]]'', Raye's last album for Epic, was released in 2001. Neither of the album's two singles entered Top 40 on the country music charts. Because of a conflict with his label, Raye asked out of his contract that year.<ref name="twenty"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1451572/20011219/raye_collin.jhtml |title=Raye, Epic Parting Ways |accessdate=2007-11-02 |date=2001-12-19 |work=CMT.com}}</ref> Although he did not have a record label at the time, he entered the Adult Contemporary charts for the third time in 2003, as a duet partner on Jim Brickman's single "Peace (Where the Heart Is)". Raye released a live album, ''Live at Billy Bob's Texas'', in 2004, and a promotional single titled "World History 101" in 2005.<ref name="deseret">{{cite web |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20040824/ai_n11475640 |title=Collin Raye delights Orem audience |accessdate=2007-11-02 |last=Thunell |first=Peter |date=2004-08-24 |work=[[Deseret News]] |publisher=FindArticles.com}}</ref> ===2005-present=== In 2005, Raye signed to the independent Aspirion label, releasing his ''[[Twenty Years and Change]]'' album. Two singles were released from the album, although neither single charted. The same year, Raye appeared in television commercials for [[Fruit of the Loom]] underwear, in which he sang the jingle "You Can't Over-Love Your Underwear".<ref name="twenty">{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1517647/20051207/raye_collin.jhtml |title=20 Questions with Collin Raye |accessdate=2007-11-02 |date=2005-12-07 |work=CMT.com}}</ref> Another studio album, ''Fearless'', was released in 2006 on Country Roads Records, although it did not produce any singles. In 2007, a CD/DVD combination titled ''The Power in You'' was released, followed by an EP titled ''Selected Hits''. The latter includes "That's My Story", "Little Rock", "I Think About You", and "Love, Me", as well as two new tracks: "A Soldier's Prayer" and "Quitters", the latter of which was co-written by Canadian country singer [[George Canyon]]. Both of the new tracks were released as singles in 2007, and the former peaked at No.&nbsp;59 on Hot Country Songs.<ref name="whitburn"/> Raye's next album, ''[[Never Going Back]]'', was released on April 28, 2009 on the Saguaro Road label. Its first single is "Mid-Life Chrysler". It also includes the track "She's With Me," which is a tribute to Raye's granddaughter, Haley, who died from a severe but undiagnosed brain disorder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theboot.com/2010/04/06/collin-raye-granddaughter/ |title=Collin Raye's Young Granddaughter Passes Away |author=Conaway, Alanna |date=2010-04-06 |work=The Boot |accessdate=2010-09-30}}</ref> Raye released his autobiography ''A Voice Undefeated'' in 2014.<ref name="official" /> ==Musical stylings== Raye is known primarily for his [[country pop]] ballads, such as "Love, Me" (a popular choice at funerals)<ref name="allmusic"/> and "In This Life" (one of the most popular wedding songs of the 1990s).<ref name="allmusic"/> Raye is also known for dealing with social issues in his material. "Little Rock", for example, tells of a recovering alcoholic; its music video included the number for [[Al-Anon]], as a means of public service announcement. "What If Jesus Comes Back Like That", from his ''I Think About You'' album, is a [[power ballad]] that poses questions about the return of [[Jesus Christ]] in the modern world.<ref name="oldies"/> In "The Eleventh Commandment", a track from ''The Walls Came Down'', Raye addresses child abuse, suggesting "honor thy children" as an eleventh commandment to accompany the [[Ten Commandments]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1475084/20030731/raye_collin.jhtml |title=Thou Shalt Listen To Collin |accessdate=2007-11-02 |date=1998-07-22 |work=CMT.com}}</ref> In the song's music video, a telephone number for the child abuse hotline ChildHelp USA was included.<ref name="eleven"/> ==Religious conversion== Raye was raised as a [[Southern Baptist Convention|Southern Baptist]] but became a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] when he was 23 years old. On February 17, 2016, Raye performed at the "Two Nations, One Faith" celebration at [[Sun Bowl Stadium]] in [[El Paso, Texas]], prior to the stadium's simulcast of the Mass performed by [[Pope Francis]] just across the Mexican border in [[Ciudad Juarez]]. ==Personal life== Raye married a woman named Connie in 1980; they later got divorced.<ref name=NNDB>{{cite web | url=http://www.nndb.com/people/401/000118047/ | title=Collin Raye | last= | first= | author= | authorlink= | last2= | first2= | author2= | authorlink2= | date= | year= | editor-last= | editor-first= | editor= | editor-link= | editor1-last= | editor1-first= | editor1-link= | editor2-last= | editor2-first= | editor2-link= | editors= | website=[[NNDB]] | series= | publisher=Soylent Communications | work= | location= | page= | pages= | at= | language= |trans-title=| type= | format= | arxiv= | asin= | bibcode= | doi= |doi-broken-date=| isbn= | issn= | jfm= | jstor= | lccn= | mr= | oclc= | ol= | osti= | pmc= | pmid= | rfc= | ssrn= | zbl= |id= | archiveurl= | archivedate= | deadurl= | accessdate=September 7, 2017 | quote= | ref= | separator= | postscript= | subscription= | registration= }}</ref> They have a daughter, Brittany (born 1983), and a son, Jacob (born 1985).<ref name=NNDB /> Raye lives in Nashville with his daughter and surviving granddaughter.<ref name="official" /> Internet searches for "Floyd Elliot Wray" reveal other residences in [[Antioch, Tennessee]], [[Mount Juliet, Tennessee]] and [[Greenville, Texas]]. ==Social activism== In 2011 Raye became the national spokesperson for the [[Public opinion and activism in the Terri Schiavo case#Schindler family activism after Schiavo's death|Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/new-voice-for-life-collin-raye/|title=New Voice for Life: Collin Raye|work=National Catholic Register}}</ref> ==Discography== {{Main article|Collin Raye discography}} *''[[All I Can Be]]'' (1991) *''[[In This Life (Collin Raye album)|In This Life]]'' (1992) *''[[Extremes (album)|Extremes]]'' (1994) *''[[I Think About You]]'' (1995) *''[[Christmas: The Gift]]'' (1996) *''[[The Walls Came Down]]'' (1998) *''[[Tracks (Collin Raye album)|Tracks]]'' (2000) *''[[Can't Back Down]]'' (2001) *''[[Twenty Years and Change]]'' (2005) *''Fearless'' (2006) *''[[Never Going Back]]'' (2009) *''His Love Remains'' (2011) *''Still on the Line...The Songs of Glen Campbell'' (2013) *''Everlasting'' (2014) ===''Billboard'' number-one hits=== *"[[Love, Me]]" (3 weeks, 1992) *"[[In This Life (Collin Raye song)|In This Life]]" (2 weeks, 1992) *"[[My Kind of Girl]]" (1 week, 1995) *"[[I Can Still Feel You]]" (2 weeks, 1998) ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== *[http://www.collinraye.com official website] *{{AllMusic|artist|mn0000774941|Collin Raye}} *{{IMDb name | nm0713097}} {{Collin Raye}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Raye, Collin}} [[Category:1960 births]] [[Category:American country bass guitarists]] [[Category:American country singer-songwriters]] [[Category:American country singers]] [[Category:American male guitarists]] [[Category:American Roman Catholics]] [[Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism]] [[Category:Epic Records artists]] [[Category:Guitarists from Arkansas]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from De Queen, Arkansas]] [[Category:Singers from Arkansas]] [[Category:Songwriters from Arkansas]]'