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This is the first of two Bear Family sets that chronicle Johnnie Ray's remarkable, epochal career. One of the greatest and most charismatic entertainers in American popular music, Johnnie Ray was not only one of the godfathers of rock 'n' roll but one of the most distinctive interpreters of the classic popular song. He took the drama of R&B, the feel of jazz, a taste of country, and some of the greatest songs of the era to carve out a unique niche in American popular music. And, as the accompanying book confirms, he did this while wrestling with deafness, alcoholism and sexual identity problems.

The five CDs in this set comprise everything that Johnnie Ray recorded for Columbia Records and its subsidiaries between 1951 and 1956, including his breakthrough hit, Cry, as well as Top 10 chartbusters like Walkin' My Baby Back Home, The Little White Cloud That Cried, Please Mister Sun, Somebody Stole My Gal, Such A Night, and Just Walkin' In The Rain. This set also includes his duets with Doris Day and Frankie Laine, all of his fabulously rare early albums, and several previously unissued masters. The fifth CD comprises two live albums, one recorded in England in 1954 and another recorded in Las Vegas in 1957, plus the soundtrack recordings from 'There's No Business Like Show Business'.

Johnnie Ray's music was daring, innovative, blues-drenched, and dramatic in the early Fifties, and is as electrifying nearly fifty years later.
This set offers conclusive proof that he was the consummate, natural born entertainer.
Also included is a 84-page book with a newly researched biography by Jonny Whiteside and many unpublished photos from the apex of Johnnie Ray's remarkable and singular career.

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