Ray Rush is an American songwriter and record producer. After early collaborations with
Buddy Holly and
Roy Orbison, Rush moved into producing and promoting records of Texas musicians.
Music career
Rush's music career began while a student at
Odessa College
Odessa College is a public junior college in Odessa, Texas. The college serves the people of Ector County and the Permian Basin. It was established in 1946 and enrolle8,024 studentsin Fall 2021 and 7,679 students in Spring 2022 in its universi ...
, where he sang in a trio called the Roses, serving as a backup vocals on "
Think It Over
"Think It Over" is a rock-and-roll song written by Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, and Norman Petty in 1958, originally recorded by the Crickets. Vi Petty, Norman Petty's wife, played piano on this recording.
Chart performance
In the US, "Think I ...
" by Buddy Holly in 1958. The Roses accompanied Holly and his band to New York in support of the song.
Rush and the Roses sang backup vocals on other Crickets songs, such as "
Wild One", ( aka, ' Real Wild Child '), in 1958. Rush was promotions manager of an early recording and publishing company formed by Holly, Prism Records.
Rush introduced
Roy Orbison to
Joe Melson
Joe Melson (born May 1935) is an American singer and a BMI Award-winning songwriter.
Life and career
Joe Melson was born in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas, United States. He was reared on a farm until he was sixteen. He attended high school in ...
, one of Orbison's most important early collaborators. Rush co-wrote "Mama" in 1962 with Orbison.
Rush was one of the founders of Zenith Productions. From 1966 to 1968, Zenith was in litigation with
Scepter Records
Scepter Records was an American record company founded in 1959 by Florence Greenberg.
History
Florence Greenberg founded Scepter Records from the $4,000 she received after she sold Tiara Records and the Shirelles to Decca Records. When the Shire ...
in a contractual dispute over
B. J. Thomas. Zenith had recorded one of Thomas's early singles, and claimed contractual interference. Zenith settled in 1968 for $7,500, and Thomas signed with Scepter.
In 1968, Rush was hired by
International Artists
International Artists (IA) was an American independent record label based in Houston, Texas, United States, that originally existed from 1965 to 1970. It is not to be confused with International Artists Records, a classical music record label foun ...
to revamp their operation. Rush produced several
psychedelic rock albums with International Artists in the late 1960s, including
The Thirteenth Floor Elevators', ''
Bull of the Woods
''Bull of the Woods'' is the third studio album by The 13th Floor Elevators, and the last on which they worked as a group. The album is noted for its moody, dreamy, and fuzzed-out psychedelic sound, and was released by International Artists.
...
'', and songs by
Bubble Puppy
Bubble Puppy is an American psychedelic rock band originally active from 1967 to 1972. They are best remembered for their Top 20 hit, "Hot Smoke & Sasafrass".
History Origins
Bubble Puppy was formed in 1966 in San Antonio, Texas, by Rod Prince ...
in 1969. Rush produced records and also managed artists and repertoire with International.
Singles discography
*A: "So What" / B: "Can This Be Love" (1962)
*A: "Lucky Star" / B: "A Hole in My Rockin' Shoes" (1963)
[Ingman, John]
A.O.K.: Record Labels of West Texas & New Mexico
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rush, Ray
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)