Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Few guitar pickers can out-slide, out-bend or out-torture a Telecaster the way Will Ray can. As a member of the pyrotechnical twang trio The Hellecasters, Will has created a place for himself among some of the world’s guitar greats.
A native of Richmond, Virginia, Will began his musical journey at the tender age of ten when his older siblings would play records of Peter Paul & Mary, Leadbelly, Ian and Sylvia, Elvis and Korner, Ray & Glover. Later on in high school, Will discovered the Beatles, the Blues Project, Cream, the Grateful Dead and Paul Butterfield Blues Band. When he turned sixteen he bought his first guitar and immediately started woodshedding on the licks of Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Danny Kalb and Keith Richards.
After a two year stint in the Army, during which he did a tour of Viet Nam, Will took a hiatus from guitar and went to college under the GI bill. On Christmas vacation of his sophomore year, his younger brother Enos brought home a copy of Live Dead by the Grateful Dead. Will would never be the same again. He picked up the guitar again and suddenly found what he wanted to do; play guitar! With Jerry Garcia as his new source of inspiration, Will started a routine of practicing eight full hours a day while still going to school. When he graduated he started playing in a string of local rock bands like Sneaky Weeds, Dry Ice, Mace, Abby & the Milkmen, and Saffron. Then a band named King Cotton asked him to join and Will was introduced to country rock. He began studying the styles of Roy Buchanan, James Burton, Clarence White and Danny Gatton. After being in a slew of other local bands Will joined his first straight ahead redneck country band, The Pacers. He loved it! He could finally play pedal steel licks all night long and walk away with something he never had before while playing rock - money!
By now Will began the first of what would become three day jobs working in a foundry. It was hard, dirty work but he felt like he was a true “workin’ man” just like in the country songs he played and sang in the bars at night. It was during this time that he also hooked up with two men who owned a fledgling recording studio outside Richmond called Common Bond Studios. It was at Common Bond that Will first learned the art of recording. He was down there a lot playing on demos, jingles and records. He also learned about song construction, arranging and producing. On weekends Will would go in and record his own songs when the studio wasn’t too busy. At night he still continued to play in various country and blues bands including The Cold Harbor Band, Westwind and the Terry Brennon Band. After five years of working jobs by day and playing music at night, Will had had enough and in 1983 his new bride Gayle talked him into moving out west to Los Angeles where he could play music full time and she could pursue her art.
Making a living in Los Angeles was a challenge, but Will began finding work in nightclubs and eventually the studios. He was a member of several ground breaking 80’s cow punk bands including Tin Star, Vanishing Breed, Candye Kane & the Armadillo Stampede, and Will Ray & the Gila Monsters. Utilizing his experience in studios, he began producing country-oriented artists in the LA area including three compilation albums, Hollywood Roundup, Detour West and Far West. It was on Hollywood Roundup that Will first recorded with soon-to-be Hellecaster henchmen Jerry Donahue and John Jorgenson. Will and fellow co-producer Glen Mont wanted to write an instrumental on the album featuring some of the top country pickers in Los Angeles. The result was “Picker’s Brawl” and it featured John Jorgenson, Jerry Donahue, Jeff Ross, Billy Bremner and Will picking up a storm. It was the first time Jerry, John and Will ever recorded together, but it would not be the last.
Two years later at the legendary Palomino club, Will and Jerry Donahue were sipping on some brews durin
Product Description
Back in the early days Will was influenced by blues guitarists such as Danny Kalb of the Blues Project, Michael Bloomfield, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Dickie Betts and Duane Allman among others. In recording this CD Will has returned to his roots and wears his influences proudly on his sleeve. Special guests include Jerry Donahue, Steve Duncan, Ted Greene, John Jorgenson, Juke Logan and more!
Mojo Blues,Will Ray,Pharaoh Records,Blues-Rock,Electric Blues,Out of the vortex of The Hellecasters rises a man with a guitar getting back to his roots. High energy electric Blues featuring blistering country/ blues/jazz guitar picking and slide Gtr. Special appearances by John Jorgenson, Jerry Donahue & Ted Greene.,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop
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