Ray Pillow, now 82 years old, has not only experienced the country music industry as an artist, but also on the business side as a music publisher/A&R representative. He was born on the fourth of July in 1937 and hails from Lynchburg, VA. Before his time as a professional musician, Ray joined the Navy. Following his discharge, he earned a degree in Business Administration from Lynchburg College.
In 1961, Ray was the winner of a local talent contest and made his way to Nashville to pursue a career in country music. As a runner up at the national level of the Pet Milk talent contest, Pillow earned a spot as a guest performer on the Grand Ole Opry.
In 1965, Pillow released his first two singles “Take Your Hands Off My Heart” and “Thank You Ma’am,” both precursors to his first album release, Presenting Ray Pillow, on Capitol Records. In the same year, Ray teamed up with Opry star, Jean Shepard, to release a pair of hits: “I’ll Take the Dog,” and “Mr. Do-It-Yourself.” The success of these two singles ultimately lead to Pillow’s induction to the Grand Ole Opry.
Over the course of his career, some of his other hits include “Volkswagen,” “Common Colds and Broken Hearts,” and “Reconsider Me.” In 1994, Pillow was inducted into the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame.
In addition to his own music career, Ray has also contributed to the career of Lee Greenwood. In partnership with Larry McFaden, Ray brought Lee to Nashville and their jointly owned Sycamore Valley Music Company published all of Lee’s songs, including the 1985 CMA Song of the Year, “God Bless the USA.”
To learn more about Ray Pillow, please visit www.RayPillow.com
