Ray Tarantino (born 3 February 1976,

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, Italy) is a technology entrepreneur, photographer and songwriter of Italian descent. Reviewers compare Tarantino's lyrical style to

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

and his musical integrity to

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

Early life

Aurelio ‘Ray’ Tarantino was born in the northern Italian city of

. He moved to England at the age of 12 to study English at

Milton Abbey School Milton Abbey school is an independent school for day and boarding pupils in the village of Milton Abbas, near Blandford Forum in Dorset, in South West England. It has 224 pupils , in five houses: Athelstan, Damer, Hambro, Hodgkinson and Tregonw ...

in Dorset, where a roommate introduced him to "

Tangled Up in Blue "Tangled Up in Blue" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, which was released as the opening track on his 15th studio album ''Blood on the Tracks'' (1975). The song was written by Dylan and produced by David Zimmerman, Dylan's brot ...

" by

. Tarantino was so moved by what he heard that he bought a guitar and began writing songs.

Career

As an adult, Ray Tarantino survived a near-fatal car crash, which he cites as his reason for abandoning the corporate life for the life of a professional musician. Tarantino co-produced his debut album, "

Recusant Recusancy (from la, recusare, translation=to refuse) was the state of those who remained loyal to the Catholic Church and refused to attend Church of England services after the English Reformation. The 1558 Recusancy Acts passed in the reign ...

" with

Tony Bowers Tony Bowers (born 31 October 1952, England) is a musician based in Italy and Ireland who has worked with many bands, including Simply Red in the 1980s. Career Bowers debuted in the blues band, Blind Eye (1971–1972), as second guitarist, altho ...

, co-founder and former bass player of platinum-selling band,

Simply Red Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since the ...

. "Recusant" was released by

Edel AG Edel SE & Co. KGaA is a German independent media company based in Hamburg. As a label and publishing group, it also operates marketing and sales for artists and smaller music labels. The repertoire of the Edel labels includes dance, rock and po ...

and the European label, Ponderosa, which has also released solo-albums by former

Police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

drummer

Stewart Copeland Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is a Scottish-American musician and composer. He is best known for his work as the drummer of the English rock band the Police from 1977 to 1986, and again from 2007 to 2008. Before playing with th ...

. A few months after the album's release, Tarantino was propelled to No. 1 unsigned artist from the UK on MySpace topping the charts alongside

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...

and Gomez. As a result, Ivo Grasso signed him to a recording contract with Massive Arts and a publishing deal with

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...

. He then began solid years of touring across Europe and the US, earning him the media moniker, "Travelling Troubadour." RayWiki

Working in collaboration, songwriter Giulio Casale wrote the lyrics and Tarantino composed the music for the song, "Senza Pelle," which was recorded by Italian folk singer

Patrizia Laquidara Patrizia Laquidara ( Catania, October 29, 1972) is an Italian singer. Biography Patrizia Laquidara was born in Catania, on the island of Sicily. When she was very young her family moved to a small town in northern Italy, region Veneto, provi ...

. Delmar Brown, piano player and composer for many musicians, including

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bass guitar, bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1 ...

and

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

, recorded Tarantino's song, "My Heart Your Heart," on Brown's album, "Inner Spirit." Tarantino also produced Luca Gemma’s third solo album, “Folkadelic.” He has performed on American television and on the Italian television show, "Parla Con Me," famous for its political satire, liberal views and critique of Italian Prime Minister

Silvio Berlusconi Silvio Berlusconi ( ; ; born 29 September 1936) is an Italian media tycoon and politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy in four governments from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies ...

. In 2010, he opened for

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

at the Villa Arconati Music Festival. He counts the experience among his career's highlights, along with meeting legendary musician

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

Tiny Drum Records released his self-titled second album in 2012 to positive reviews. Tarantino lives in Nashville, where he records for Tiny Drum Records. Steve Werbelow co-produced Tarantino's third album, "Good Things Will Happen," to be released in 2014. The album includes collaboration with Steve O'Brien, co-writer of the No. 2 ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Country Single, "

Rock My World (Little Country Girl) "Rock My World (Little Country Girl)" is a song written by Bill LaBounty and Steve O'Brien and recorded by American country music duo Brooks & Dunn. It was released in December 1993 as the fourth single from their album ''Hard Workin' Man''. It is ...

," and Jim Reilley, co-founder of The New Dylans.

Discography

*Recusant (2007) *Aimlessly – Tour Only Edition (2009) *Ray Tarantino (2012) *Hands Down – Single (2012) *Good Things Will Happen (2014)

References

External links

Tarantino's WebsiteTarantino on YoutubeTarantino on FacebookTarantino on Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarantino, Ray 1976 births Italian rock singers Italian male singer-songwriters Italian singer-songwriters Living people Singers from Milan 21st-century Italian singers