WADE RAY
Western Swing Fiddle Legend
1916-1998

For those that know Western Swing music, Lyman "Wade" Ray was one of the greatest if not the greatest entertainer of all time in the Western Swing genre.  As a fiddler, vocalist, band leader...and as a person, Wade was unmatched. His zeal on stage could command thousands to their feet in an instant yet his soft spoken manner made everyone in the audience feel like they were Wade's neighbor.  Known for many hit songs including "Heart of a Clown," "This Burning Desire," "I was Just Walking Out the Door," and "Walk Softly," Wade had a recording career that spanned 5 decades and included stints on Capital, RCA-Victor, Columbia, and ABC-Paramount Records.  Everyone in the business worked with Wade or vice-versa.  Some of his colleagues included Speedy West, Cindy Walker, Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Curly Chalker, Buddy Emmons, Johnny Bush, The Sons of the Pioneers, and Rex Allen.  Featured in movies and on stages across the world, Wade's charm knew no bounds.  Even days before his passing, he had the nurses in his hospital room laughing and smiling...making them forget they even had a very sick patient in their midst. I even remember Wade asking me "how's my hair look?"  He was a showman to the end, concerned more about bringing joy to others than himself. 

Through great providence, while a graduate student at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, I was able to meet and get to know Wade and his wife Grace in the last few years of Wade's life.  Embarassed to even play my fiddle around him, it took me 6 months to even tell Wade that I played fiddle.  Sitting around such a master fiddler, it was quite frightening to even think about playing in front of him.  Eventually I did tell him, and he quickly began helping me with little tricks here and there.  Much of my fiddling has been influenced by French Creole designs, but for a three year period I studied Western Swing, Blues, and Country fiddling with one of the greatest of all time.  It was he who also helped to mold my singing style.  But more importantly he taught me about respecting the craft of music and respecting the audiences for whom eventually I would perform.   I owe a great deal to Wade and I have no way to repay him other than to do what he told me..."Son, when your on that stage, give them your whole heart, only then can you give all of your passion to the audience.  Show the world that you love what you do."

So I just want to say thank you to Wade and his wife Grace for all that they gave me.

Dennis

P.S. Just put in "Wade Ray" in any search engine and you may be yet able to buy some of Wade's music on ebay or in cd compilations of Western Swing.   As Wade used to say, "hits been a pleasure."       

Here is a picture taken on Wade and Grace's wedding anniversary back in 1997. That's of course me on the far right, but on the far left is Grand Ole Opry member Billy Grammar and his wife. That was a pretty special day as we played music, had a cook-out, and were able to be entertained by hundreds of Wade and Billy's stories.  I actually had to play fiddle in front of those guys...I think I lost 5 lbs. in sweat!!!  But I remember most singing "Sweetheart of the Year" for Wade and Grace.   The whole day is one of my fondest memories.