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RAY ANTHONY
A MAN & HIS MUSIC
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Biography:
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FOR OVER 50 YEARS, TRUMPETER AND BAND LEADER, RAY ANTHONY, HAS
BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF AMERICAN MUSICAL HISTORY. HIS RAY ANTHONY
ORCHESTRA HAS CROWNED FIVE TREMEMDOUS DECADES AND HAS RECENTLY
RELEASED HIS 130TH ALBUM, A COMPACT DISC ENTITLED, "DREAM DANCING VI
- "THE SINATRA SONGBOOK".
WITH THE RESURGENCE OF BIG BANDS, RAY ANTHONY IS AT THE TOP OF HIS
UNIQUELY AMERICAN INSTITUTION. IN 1994, HE AND HIS ORCHESTRA WERE THE
LEADING AMERICAN BIG BAND IN CONCERTS AND RECORDINGS.
MAKING MUSIC AND ENTERTAINING AUDIENCES HAVE BEEN A PART OF RAY'S
LIFE SINCE HE WAS A CHILD. BORN RAYMOND ANTONINI, HE BEGAN HIS MUSIC
AT THE AGE OF 5, WHEN HE PLAYED IN HIS FAMILY'S ORCHESTRA, LED BY HIS
FATHER AND INCLUDED HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
AS A TEENAGER, RAY WAS ALREADY MAKING MUSICAL HISTORY WITH HIS OWN
BAND IN CLEVELAND, OHIO. HIS MUSICAL SKILL AND MAGNETIC PRESENCE ON A
BAND STAND BROUGHT HIM TO THE ATTENTION OF THE LEGENDARY GLENN
MILLER. AT THE AGE OF 18, RAY WAS PLAYING FIRST TRUMPET WITH THE
GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA.
DURING WORLD WAR II, RAY ENLISTED IN THE NAVY. HE WAS PLACED IN
CHARGE OF A SERVICE SHOW BAND WHICH TOURED BASES IN THE PACIFIC. AS
ALWAYS RAY'S TALENT AND SHOWMANSHIP ROSE TO THE TOP, AND HIS
ORCHESTRA WON THE AWARD AS THE BEST SERVICE BAND.
UPON HIS DISCHARGE IN 1946, RAY MADE A DECISION WHICH WOULD AFFECT
THE AMERICAN MUSICAL LANDSCAPE FOR CLOSE TO FIVE DECADES---HE
FORMED THE RAY ANTHONY ORCHESTRA. IMMEDIATELY, RAY AND HIS
ORCHESTRA BECAME A NATIONAL SENSATION.
TOURING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE RAY ANTHONY ORCHESTRA PLAYED TO
SOLD OUT AUDIENCES. RECOGNIZING THE TREMENDOUS POPULAR DRAW OF
THE RAY ANTHONY SOUND, CAPITOL RECORDS SIGNED HIM TO A CONTRACT, A
RELATIONSHIP WHICH LASTED 20 YEARS.
AT CAPITOL RECORDS RAY BEGAN MAKING MUSICAL HISTORY. HE STARTED A
NEW DANCE CRAZE WHEN HE WROTE AND RECORDED "THE BUNNY HOP". HIS
RECORDS SOARED UP THE CHARTS WITH "PETER GUNN", "DRAGNET", "MR.
ANTHONY'S BOOGIE", "TENDERLY", "HARLEM NOCTURNE" AND "SLAUGHTER ON
TENTH AVENUE".
DURING HIS YEARS AT CAPITOL, HE JOINED FRANK SINATRA TO RECORD THE
HIT "MELODY OF LOVE". RAY SHARED BILLING ALONGSIDE SINATRA ON THE
RECORD, A RARE AND IMPORTANT EVENT.
HAVING CONQUERED THE LIVE CONCERT STAGE AND RECORDS, RAY BECAME
A STAPLE OF THE SILVER SCREEN. HE APPEARED IN OVER 15 MOTION
PICTURES INCLUDING THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED "FIVE PENNIES".
WITH RAY'S WARMTH, HUMOR AND EASY STYLE, HE BECAME A FAVORITE OF
TV AUDIENCES. IN THE MID-FIFTIES, RAY WAS TAPPED AS THE SUMMER
REPLACEMENT FOR "THE PERRY COMO SHOW". HE WENT ON TO STAR IN THE
"RAY ANTHONY PLYMOUTH SHOW" ON ABC, THE SYNDICATED "CLUB ANTHONY"
AND "THE SWINGIN' SCENE".
ALWAYS ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF MUSICAL TRENDS. RAY FORMED THE
"BOOKEND REVUE". FEATURING RAY, TWO GIRL SINGERS AND A SMALL BAND.
THEY TOURED TO SOLD OUT AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 1980'S, RAY LED THE NATIONAL RESURGENCE OF
THE BIG BANDS. HIS RAY ANTHONY ORCHESTRA WAS A SENSATION IN EVERY
NIGHTCLUB, CONCERT HALL AND COLLEGE CAMPUS IN AMERICA. RAY ALSO
FORMED A NEW ORGANIZATION LEADING THE EFFORT TO PERPETUATE THE
RENEWED INTEREST IN BIG BANDS.
"I CAN'T REMEMBER A TIME WHEN MUSIC WASN'T PART OF MY LIFE. MUSIC
PUTS WINGS ON THE HUMAN SOUL. NOTHING CAN TOUCH PEOPLE THE WAY
MUSIC CAN. AND EVERY DAY IS A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE, CHANGE,
STRETCH AND REACH FOR NEW HEIGHTS DOING SOMETHING THAT I
ABSOLUTELY LOVE- ENTERTAING PEOPLE THROUGH GREAT MUSIC," SAID
ANTHONY.
