Anyone who knows me will tell you that it doesn’t take much to get me to throw up the horns and start head-banging. Honestly? It’s kind of a reflex. Musical chaos just kinda makes me happy all over, you know?
But heavy metal didn’t just fall out of the sky one day. It evolved from rock, which itself evolved from jazz and the blues. Both of those were evolutions from American folk music, which in the twentieth century came to be known as “country” before a fat, demon-possessed hobgoblin named Garth Brooks came along and perverted the definition of the word.
But I digress …
It all began in the rural American south, where the humble Scots/Irish brought over their guitars from Europe and began shaping America’s unique musical heritage. How such a heritage eventually mutated into Metallica and Megadeth makes for a long and fascinating story, but for today …?
Today we’ll be hanging with a musician whose songs are stylistically much closer to the beloved tunes that first emerged from the hills and “hollers,” and then went on to define our culture.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet JIM RAY!!!
Welcome, Jim! And congrats on being the first musician on my humble lil’ blog who’s never gotten a neck injury from head-banging! Can you tell us a bit about your musical journey?
Sure, Virginia! Maybe I should start by saying, I am the son of a Mom who was the church choir director and a Dad who thought that “Musicians are all bums!” Nevertheless, when I got my first guitar from Mom and Dad at Christmas, when I was 13, my Dad told me, “Now, I want you to use this to become rich and famous! Then you can take care of me in my old age!” I’m afraid I failed at that mission, but I did start writing songs just as soon as I was learning how to play guitar. And I’ve never stopped.
I hear you there! I got into writing for the money … and you’re welcome to follow me on FB for more advice on poor life choices! What drew you to songwriting as a form of self-expression?
I can’t say that I really know the answer to that question. It just seemed to be the natural thing to do as a young guitar player just learning how to play.
Who were some of your influences in the beginning?
You know, I listened to all the stuff that was on Top 40 radio, back in the day – and you’ve got to remember, this was the late sixties and early seventies, so there was a lot of good music to listen to back then. When I really started listening to other songwriters, I know I was moved by writers like Jackson Browne and Jim Croce. Later, Guy Clark became a real influence. But I think the fellow who really influenced me most was the fellow who became my best friend, my best man, and my musical partner in the late 70s, Frank Arduini. You’ve never heard of Frank, but he’s the guy who really taught me how to write songs, not by trying to teach me anything, but just by writing great songs himself. We were a duo whose bread and butter, as far as I’m concerned, was great two-part harmony. We didn’t write together, but we brought each other our songs and we harmonized together. Frank’s songs, in my opinion, were always deeper and more excellently crafted than mine – which, I suppose, inspired me to work harder at achieving the same high quality.
Jim Croce will always be special to me, may he rest in peace. Where’s Frank Arduini now? And I gotta ask ‘cuz I suspect the answer will be funny: why did your father think musicians were bums? I mean, yeah, we’ve all heard of the disdain that “squares” had for “hippies” in the sixties. Was it that or was it something else?
By the way, Frank and I wrote our first song together just two years ago. After 40+ years, we got back together for one performance and collaborated together in writing one special song for the occasion. My first ever collaboration.
If there’s one “perfect song” I’ve ever heard that I wish I had written, it would be Jim Croce’s “Operator.” Love that song! BTW- Croce’s son, AJ Croce is a marvelous musician as well. Saw him a few years ago doing a concert of his own and his father’s work. Frank and I were in the Army together and we played together from about 1976 to 1981 – wherever the Army might send us. We played from New York to Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and California. Finally, the Army sent us in different directions –him to Turkey and me to Germany– and we never saw each other again until 2023. Frank got out of the Army and wound up in Colorado working in the medical supplies industry. And, when I got out, I went into the police department in Tampa, FL, before answering the call into ministry, which has taken me all over the place. Honestly, I don’t know where Dad got that idea, but he expressed it in exactly those words the very first time he met Mom’s family, not knowing they were all musicians! I suppose only true love can overcome a faux pas like that!
The best romance novels often begin with a faux pas! I would know. How did you end up going from military to law enforcement to … ministry? Soldiers and preachers tend to employ opposite methods of helping people meet Jesus, don’t they?
That’s an interesting question and an interesting assumption. I surrendered my life to Jesus back in 1964 when I was just a kid. And, surely, I have wavered in my faith and in my life many times since then. I might even say, I wasn’t much of a Christian during a good portion of my army years. As a matter of fact, at some point while I was in Germany, I codified my philosophy of life in two statements: 1. Life is a game, and I play it better than anyone else. 2. The rules are only meant for those who don’t understand the game. Pretty far from any Christian concept, eh? My turn around, back to Jesus, began with the death of our second child, a daughter we named Melanie. Had she lived, she would be 42 later this month. I was standing by the grave as we were burying her, and in my heart, I was realizing, “This is no game. This is real life, and you only get one. You better get serious about the way you live it.” Thus began a slow and faltering return to Christian faith. It was a few years later, when I was a uniformed patrol officer in Tampa, that I really got a look at so many ways life can go awry – and it got me thinking much more deeply about my commitment to Jesus. I started actually reading my Bible for the first time in my life. And, one evening, while reading my Bible, I was struck by the knowledge that God was calling me into ministry. And I hated the idea! I have a natural love of adventure. And I was loving that aspect of being a police officer. Every day was different from the day before! You hit the streets and you never knew what you were going to see that evening! For four days, I fought the urge to obey God’s calling. This was NOT what I wanted to do with my life! Then, one Saturday afternoon, just after lunch. I was sitting at the table while Donna was doing the dishes, and –out of the blue– she said to me, “Jim, you ever thought about being a preacher?” Oh, man! I can’t tell you how everything I’d been struggling with the previous four days came flowing out of my mouth! When it all was said and done, we agreed – I needed to obey God’s call. Being that it was mid December, I then said, “Ok. We’ll get our things in order and make plans to start Bible College next fall.” Immediately, Donna said, “Oh no you won’t! I know you. If you put it off, you’ll never do it at all! We’re going to talk to our preacher tomorrow and we’ll see about getting enrolled right now!” So, that’s what we did. On Sunday we spoke with our preacher. On Monday, he drove us to Florida Christian College, where we enrolled. And two weeks later, in the beginning of January, we started school. And, because we couldn’t find any housing we could afford in the area, we –a family of four– we lived in the dorms.
Wow! That’s quite a story. I am so sorry for your loss. That’s not the kind of wake-up call that anyone wants to have, for sure. Did your time as minister influence or change your approach to music?
Well, for the most part, I’m not writing what I would call explicitly Christian music. I mean, I’m not writing hymns or worship songs. But most of my songs are small, intimate stories – either my own or that of someone close to me. And, because my relationship with God is such a fundamental part of my life, there are certainly expressions of it in my music. Just off the top of my head, for example, I can think of three of my songs with “God” in the title. (“God Help Me,” “I Thank God,” and “Thank God for the Little While”) All that said, I do try to express in my songs what I try to live in my life – compassion toward others, thoughtfulness, kindness, etc. And maybe not so much self-centeredness. I did co-write a song with my good friend Tim Ogle, that he will soon be releasing, called “The Sin Side of Jordan” which might be characterized as an Appalachian hymn.
I love Appalachian hymns, with “Let the Circle Be Unbroken” being the fave! I have one last question before we wrap up, one that I always ask because I think it’s important. What advice would you give to a new/aspiring musician?
Hmm. Maybe a few things: Do your best to learn your instrument or instruments. If I were a better guitarist, I’m sure I’d be a better songwriter. Pour yourself into your craft. As a songwriter, I write almost every day. I generally end up writing two or three songs a month. And they are not all winners, but they all help me to sharpen my mind and my skills. Read. Read stuff that’s not related to your everyday life. Read classics. Read novels. Reading widely gives you a broader vocabulary and viewpoint – both of which contribute to your songwriting. Knock them doors and send them emails! You won’t get any gigs if you just sit and wait for venues to find you. I guess that’s enough from me for now. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to gab, Virginia. Catch you later, my friend! Oh, and if anyone wants to find out more about me or my music, here’s the link to my website: Jimraymusic.com And here’s the link to my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@jimray-songwriter?si=2AQo6bY8rs_XDSSx
Thank you so much for hanging out today, and best of luck to you!
