Morrissey, the lead singer of The Smiths, often performed with a hearing aid (though not hearing impaired himself) in honor of Ray.
Awarded his latest Gold Record posthumously in 2000 for the Columbia Records CD compilation "16 Most Requested".
Best man at Judy Garland's wedding to Mickey Deans and opening act for Garland on the Scandinavian tour Deans set up for her in early 1969, which were her last live performances before her death in June 1969.
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 723-725. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.
Discovered and signed by Danny Kessler of Okeh Records (a subsidiary of Columbia which recorded mostly Black artists) when he went to the Flame Bar in Detroit to scout the Black singer-pianist Little Miss Cornshucks. When he found that Cornshucks already had a record contract, Kessler auditioned and signed Ray, who was performing during the intermissions. When Kessler brought Ray's demo record back to New York and played it for Okeh's executives, they immediately thought he'd found them a Black girl who sang like Dinah Washington. "Actually, he's a guy," Kessler explained. "And he's white.".
He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard.
His soulful performance of "Cry" was a forerunner to James Brown's "Please Don't Go".
In 1968, when he needed to update his SAG benefits, he called producer A.C. Lyles and asked for any kind of role in the film that Lyles was about to shoot, Rogue's Gallery (1968). He was cast as a squad-car cop.
In the last years of his life he was honored by contemporary rock stars with mentions in the lyrics of three major hits--the #1 "Come On Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners, Billy Idol's "You Don't Need a Gun" (which also featured Johnnie's last on-screen appearance in the music video) and Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire," which hit #1 while Johnnie was in the hospital.
Originally partly deaf in his left ear, a botched operation later left him hearing-impaired in both ears.
Played his last engagement at the Salem, OR theatre in his hometown, where he is now buried.
The first pop singer to have a two-million-selling two-sided hit with "Cry" / "The Little White Cloud That Cried" (1951).
Was a close friend of actor Christopher George.
Would become enraged if anyone mispelled his first name.