In memory
Eddie Ray
December 21, 1926 June 21, 2026
Born in Franklin, North Carolina, Eddie Ray spent more than sixty years in the American music business. He went from a stock boy’s job to the executive offices of Imperial, Capitol and MGM, served on a federal tribunal in Washington, and came home to North Carolina to lead its Music Hall of Fame.
At a glance
A life in music
His life, year by year- Born
- December 21, 1926 · Franklin, North Carolina
- Died
- June 21, 2026 · aged 99
- Record business
- More than sixty years, with executive roles at Imperial, Capitol, MGM and Cream/Hi Records. One of the first African American executives at a major record label.
- Songwriter
- Co-writer of “Hearts of Stone”
- Public service
- Commissioner of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal, appointed by President Ronald Reagan
- Educator
- Founder of the Tennessee College of Recording Arts & Sciences
- North Carolina
- Inducted into the NC Music Hall of Fame, 2009, and its first executive director
- Author
- The memoir Against All Odds and five books of poetry
His life, year by year
From Franklin to the record business, and home
Each entry lists its sources. Years for individual jobs follow the Wikipedia article, which cites the trade press of the time.
Side A 1926–1963
- 1926
Born in Franklin, North Carolina
Born December 21, 1926, in Franklin, a small town in the mountains of western North Carolina.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; Wikipedia
- 1945
A stock boy at Decca
At eighteen he took a stock boy’s job at Decca Records in Milwaukee, his first job in the record business.
Source: Family site; Wikipedia
- 1946
Aladdin Records, Los Angeles
He moved to Aladdin Records as a shipping clerk, the first step from the shipping room to the front office.
Source: Wikipedia; family site
- 1950
Central Record Sales
He joined Central Record Sales Company, an independent record distributor in Hollywood.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; Wikipedia
- 1955
Imperial Records
National director of promotion and sales at Imperial for nine years, working with Fats Domino, Ricky Nelson and many more.
Source: Wikipedia; NC Music Hall of Fame
Side B 1964–2026
- 1964
Capitol Records, Tower label
A&R director and then vice president at Capitol’s Tower label, where he brought Pink Floyd to American audiences.
Source: Wikipedia; NC Music Hall of Fame; family site
- 1970
MGM Records
Senior vice president at MGM, working with the Osmonds, Lou Rawls, Sammy Davis Jr. and Hank Williams Jr.
Source: Wikipedia; NC Music Hall of Fame
- 1974
Memphis
He moved to Memphis and in 1976 became executive vice president and general manager of Cream/Hi Records, home of Al Green. Through his company, Eddie Ray Music Enterprises, he founded the Tennessee College of Recording Arts & Sciences.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; Wikipedia
- 1981
Copyright Royalty Tribunal
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a Commissioner of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal. He served about eight years, four of them leading the Tribunal, until 1989.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; Wikipedia
- 2009
Home to North Carolina
Inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and appointed its first executive director.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; family site; Wikipedia
- 2026
June 21, 2026
Eddie Ray died on June 21, 2026, at the age of 99.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; Wikipedia; family site
The songwriter
“Hearts of Stone”
Eddie Ray co-wrote “Hearts of Stone” with Rudy Jackson; the Jewels sang it first. It became a hit for the Fontane Sisters, the Charms and Red Foley. More than thirty other artists have recorded it, Elvis Presley among them, and it was later heard in the film Goodfellas.
Sources: NC Music Hall of Fame (inductee page and memorial release); Wikipedia (Rudy Jackson, the Jewels)
The artists
Careers he helped shape
Every artist the Wikipedia article names in connection with his work, label by label, with the article’s own description of what he did.
Read the article1946–1950
Aladdin Records
Artists he met and watched at Aladdin’s sessions and concerts, under his mentors Leo and Eddie Mesner.
- Johnny Moore
- The Three Blazers featuring Charles Brown
- Amos Milburn
- The Five Keys
- Lester Young
- Illinois Jacquet
1950–1954
Central Record Sales
Artists whose records he promoted and sold.
- Ruth Brown
- The Drifters
- B.B. King
- Sam Cooke
- Ray Charles
- Big Joe Turner
- Clyde McPhatter
- Howlin’ Wolf
- Jesse Belvin
- The Clovers
1955–1964
Imperial Records
Artists he handled as national promotion and sales director. He also produced hit singles for three of them (marked “produced”).
- Fats Domino
- Ricky Nelson
- Slim Whitman
- Sandy Nelson produced
- Johnny Rivers
- Ernie Freeman produced
- Irma Thomas produced
- Aaron Neville
- Ernie K-Doe
- Smiley Lewis
- Billy J. Kramer
1964–1969
Capitol Records · Tower
Artists he acquired or worked with, including Pink Floyd, and the AIP film soundtracks produced by Mike Curb.
- Pink Floyd
- Freddie & the Dreamers
- The Standells
- Ian Whitcomb
- Davie Allan & the Arrows
- The Sunrays
- Harry Nilsson
- Mike Curb
1969–1973
Coburt · MGM Records
Artists on an album he produced at Coburt, and artists he worked with at MGM.
- Glen Campbell
- Dionne Warwick
- Burt Bacharach
- The Osmonds
- Donny & Marie
- Lou Rawls
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Hank Williams Jr.
- Richie Havens
- The Sylvers
1974–1976
Sounds of Memphis
Artists he represented.
- Solomon Burke
- Jimmy Smith
- The Ovations
- Barbara and the Browns
- George Jackson
1976–
Hi / Cream Records
Hi Records artists during his years as executive vice president and general manager.
- Al Green
- Ann Peebles
- Ace Cannon
- Bill Black Combo
1954–
“Hearts of Stone”
His song: written with Rudy Jackson, first sung by the Jewels, and later a hit or recording for these artists.
- The Jewels
- The Fontane Sisters
- Otis Williams and the Charms
- Red Foley
- Bill Black Combo
- John Fogerty (The Blue Ridge Rangers)
- Elvis Presley
Source: Wikipedia, “Edward Wiley Ray” (checked October 10, 2026). The NC Music Hall of Fame and the family site also name Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Mike Curb and others.
Beyond the record labels
Service, teaching and home
- Washington, D.C.
U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal
Appointed by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the Senate, he served as a Commissioner for about eight years, four of them as Chairman.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; Wikipedia
- Memphis, Tennessee
A school for the music business
Through Eddie Ray Music Enterprises he founded the Tennessee College of Recording Arts & Sciences, a school that taught both music itself and the business of music.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame
- Kannapolis, North Carolina
The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2009, he became the Hall of Fame’s first executive director.
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; Wikipedia
In his own story
Against All Odds
He told his story in a memoir, Against All Odds, and published five books of poetry.
The family’s site, eddieraymusicman.com
Source: NC Music Hall of Fame; family site
Sources
Where these facts come from
Checked on October 10, 2026. If you are family or have a correction, please tell us.
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