Birth name Robert Ray Whitley Name Ray Whitley | Years active 1961-1970 Role Music composer | |
Born November 22, 1943
Columbus, Georgia, United States ( 1943-11-22 ) Labels Vee Jay, Dunhill, Apt, Columbia, TRX, 123, Attarack, others Died 2013, Gainesville, Georgia, United States Similar People The Tams, Bill Deal and the Rhondels, J R Cobb, The Swingin' Medallions, Joe South | ||
Robert Ray Whitley, commonly known as Ray Whitley, (1943-2013) was an American beach music composer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for composing hit songs recorded by The Tams and Guy Darrell, though he also released 14 of his own singles between 1961 and 1970.
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Biography
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. Producer Felton Jarvis soon discovered him in an Atlanta High School. Jarvis introduced Whitley to Atlanta music producer Bill Lowery, who saw Whitley's potential and signed him to a contract.
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. 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.
Whitley toured nationally as a performer, in addition to his work as a songwriter. He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in the early 1990s.
Later in his life, Whitley struggled with alcoholism and homelessness; as of 2011, he was living in a shelter in Gainesville, Georgia. Whitley died on May 5, 2013, after several months of illness. Ray had one child, Christopher.