Raymond Donnez (September 9, 1942 – March 7, 2019), or Don Ray, was a French
disco producer, arranger and performer.
Early life
A cult hero among fans of Eurodisco, Don Ray played
keyboards on
Cerrone
Marc Cerrone Daryl Easlea, "Supernature Boy", ''Record Collector'', #502, February 2020, pp.60-63 (, ; born 24 May 1952) is a French disco drummer, composer, record producer and creator of concert shows. Cerrone is a producer of 1970s and 198 ...
's records "Love in C Minor", "IV", "VI", and "VIII" and released one solo album, ''Garden of Love'', which featured his successful single "Got to Have Loving",
cowritten with Cerrone, who drummed on the track. He also produced
Santa Esmeralda
Santa Esmeralda is a French-American disco group formed in the 1970s. The group had hits with its remake of the 1960s hits "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "House of the Rising Sun". Santa Esmeralda featured original lead singer Leroy Gómez i ...
's hit cover of "
Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for the American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who recorded the first version in 1964. "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" has been co ...
" and their third LP, "
House of the Rising Sun
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
".
His single "Got To Have Loving" had cross-over success on pop radio, and reached #44 in the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1978.
Also, was conductor in the
Eurovision Song Contest in three years,
1974 (for the
Monegasque entry "
Celui qui reste et celui qui s'en va"),
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 ...
(for the Monegasque entry "
Toi, la musique et moi") and
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...
(the winner of this year, the
French "
L'oiseau et l'enfant").
Don Ray was a musician with
Alec Costandinos and his name appears on many of Alec's albums and jazz-funk classic singles "Standing in the Rain" and the slower "My Desire". The disco stomper "Midnight Madness" is only available on UK 12inch.
[Discogs – ''Don Ray Discography''](_blank)
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Donnez died on 7 March, 2019.
Albums
''The Garden Of Love'' (1978)
References
1942 births
2019 deaths
Eurovision Song Contest conductors
21st-century conductors (music)
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