WILL RAY - 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 an early age when his older siblings
would play records of Peter Paul & Mary, Leadbelly and Elvis. In high school
Will discovered the Beatles, the Blues Project, Cream, the Grateful Dead and
Paul Butterfield Blues Band while learning the guitar at age sixteen. After
graduating from college he started playing in a string of local Richmond rock
bands including Dry Ice, Mace, King Cotton and The Cold Harbor Band. In 1983 his
new bride, Gayle, talked him into moving out west to California where he could
play music full time and she could pursue her art.
In Los Angeles Will began finding work in nightclubs and eventually in the
studios. He was a member of several ground breaking 80’s cow punk bands
including Tin Star, Candye Kane & the Armadillo Stampede and Wylie & The Wild
West Show. 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.
Pretty soon Will was part of the edgy West Coast country sound while also
working with artists such as Carlene Carter, Steve Earle, Tom Jones, Solomon
Burke, Joe Walsh and Michael Nesmith.
In 1990 Will and Jerry Donahue had an idea; why not put together a band that
played nothing but guitar music with three way guitar harmonies? Jorgenson’s
name came up and a few weeks later the three did a show for Ronnie Mack’s
Barndance at the world famous Palomino Club as The Hellecasters. A year later
Michael Nesmith caught the band and offered them a record deal on Pacific Arts
Records.
The Hellecasters’ critically acclaimed first album, The Return of the
Hellecasters, became a hit with guitarists and was awarded “Best Album” and
“Best Country Album” by Guitar Player Magazine in 1993. In 1995 the
Hellecasters’s recorded and released their second CD, Escape From Hollywood,
which again took guitar playing to a new dimension. That same year Hipshot
products began marketing an invention of Will’s called the Stealth Slide,
allowing guitarists to switch quickly between slide and fingers on a guitar.
Hipshot also began manufacturing the Will Ray Model B-Bender for guitar. In
addition, Will released two guitar instructional videos, B-Bender Mania and
Stealth Slide Technique for Rambo Videos.
In 1997 Fender Musical Instruments unveiled a limited edition signature guitar
for Will, the Will Ray Jazz-A-Caster. The following year the Fender Custom Shop
released the Will Ray Mojo-Tele signature guitar. Both guitars represent a major
step forward in guitar design and technology, from the unique gold leaf design
of the bodies to the groundbreaking noise canceling pickups.
New Axes to Grind, the Hellecasters’ third album, was released in 1998 on their
own label Pharaoh Records. The following year Will released his first solo CD
called Invisible Birds on Pharaoh Records to an enthusiastic audience of
Hellecaster fans. On it Will sings and plays his way through an eclectic mix of
songs ranging from “farm jazz” and “range rock” to “prairie metal” and “cow
thrash”.
In 2000 the Hellecasters released their first live video, Live...Raw...in
Germany to their anxious fans. It was recorded in Baden-Baden, Germany when they
played live on the popular European TV show Ohne Filter. In early 2002 Will
released his second solo album Mojo Blues for Pharaoh Records. The all blues
album features guest appearances from Ted Greene, Juke Logan, John Jorgenson,
Jerry Donahue and Emmet Ray Jr among others. The songs are catchy and the vibe
is intense, with Will’s usual sense of humor injected throughout.
2002 also saw Will endorsing G&L Guitars, with the unveiling of the G&L Will Ray
Signature Model Guitar. It features advanced “Z” coil technology for the
pickups, a 7-way pickup selector, B-Bender tailpiece and Will’s trademark skull
inlays on the fingerboard. Will spent much of the year promoting his guitar,
doing guitar clinics for G&L and touring, sharing the bill with acts such as The
Yardbirds, Albert Lee and Eric Johnson. Later that year Will began writing a new
monthly column for Guitar Player Magazine called Ebay Strategies. The popular
column gives readers some of Will’s personal experiences on eBay as well as his
tips and advice for buying online.
Essential Listening is the Hellecasters’ fourth album, released to enthusiastic
fans in 2003 on Hightone Records. The 13 song disc contains even more twisted
string wrangling from the boys and promises to spread their appeal among
musicians worldwide.
In July of 2005 Will moved to North Carolina where he built a new state of the
art recording studio for production projects. It’s located up in the mountains
of Asheville and is designed for inspiration as well as solitude for his
clients. He continues to stay quite busy traveling the globe these days
performing, teaching and conducting guitar clinics. In the new Millennium Will
promises to keep doing what he enjoys doing best - having fun in music while
pushing the edge of the envelope!
Muriel Anderson's All Star Guitar Night benefits the
Music For Life Alliance
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