Heart Strings

Click To Visit Ray's Store
              
                      HEART STRINGS
                       RAY'S NEW CD
                   14 SONGS OF LOVE

CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE LIST OF RAY'S CDS AVAILABLE IN “RAY'S STORE”

"A special message from Trudy Griff" to Rays fans and friends

The radiation Ray had for throat cancer in 2008 kept him alive but it also
did a number on the radiated side of his jaw, which recently led to an abscess
and the removal of a tooth at the back of the jaw where a draining pipe was inserted.
A c-scan revealed "osteoradionecrosis", which means the bones are either dying or they're dead,
causing them to break and chip off, sticking up like needles, making it terribly painful and
difficult for Ray to speak and eat solid foods. To help with the problem Ray is taking a series
of (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatments), their objective being to heal the huge exposed hole
where the tooth was removed and get some blood flowing into the dead area. We're praying that
the HBOT treatments will help resolve the problem and that it will not be necessary for further surgery.
Under the circumstances Ray has cancelled his radio show "Raymond's Place" with the Ottawa and
Wetaskiwin radio stations. He will continue doing the show on 1060AM in Calgary between his treatments.
Please check Rays website periodically for updates. Your prayers and continued support will be deeply appreciated.
Best wishes and good health to all of you in the coming year!
Thank you and God bless all of you.
Trudy

www.raygriff.com
www.myspace.com/raygriff

RAYMOND'S PLACE
Your Host: RAY GRIFF
TUNE IN! EVERY SUNDAY 10:00 AM (MOUNTAIN TIME ZONE)
RADIO: 1060-AM CALGARY
INTERNET: www.classiccountryam1060.com

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

On November 17th, 2008, Ray became the first Country Songwriter
ever to receive the SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music
Publishers of Canada) 'Lifetime Achievement Award".

The "Lifetime Achievement Award" is given to a SOCAN songwriter,
lyricist or composer who has had outstanding success throughout
their musical career.

Ray taped an acceptance speech that was played at the gala event
since he was not able to attend for health reasons.
Rays wife Trudy accepted the beautiful crystal award on his behalf.

- THE MISSING YEARS - THE PRESENT -

The question regarding Ray Griff's whereabouts, his low profile and
finally his disappearance from the country scene the last few years
has been a subject often discussed among his fans and peers in the
music world. Here, Ray answers those questions himself:
"In the middle seventies my life was about as hectic as it could get.
With recording and producing my own records, producing other artist's
projects, writing songs, running a publishing company, performing
concert dates and being the host of my own weekly television show;
I was completely overloaded and had a nervous breakdown. Just when
I started pulling out of it, my little Yorkshire Terrier Dandy died.
I love animals deeply and because of this I was devastated. My
depression and state of mind was to get even worse when my wife
and I got a divorce shortly thereafter. I continued to work some
show dates, but over the next few years I basically became a hermit,
living in seclusion on an acreage outside of Nashville. It was at that
time that I made a decision to end my association with the major
record label I was recording for when the person who had signed me
with the label was fired. I practically stopped pitching my song's to
record labels and other artist's altogether.

I kept writing song's, but used it more as therapy than anything else,
since most of what I wrote at that time had to do with the depressing
side of life. The next few years brought more difficulty.
During that time I was in severe pain from a back injury and it became
necessary to have surgery. I stopped touring the United States in the
middle eighties. My mother had become quite ill and in order to be
close to her I turned to working the night club circuit in Canada.
During one of these engagements I was attacked by three goons
after one of my performances and my right hand was severely broken,
and major surgery was performed half a dozen times to try and repair
the damage. I could not play the piano for two years which was very
difficult for me, since it was such an important part of my life both as
a song writer and a performer.

When my mother passed away in 1990 my state of mind was about
as low as it could get. Shortly thereafter I sold fifty percent of my
publishing copyrights to a European conglomerate that consisted
of a catalogue of more than five hundred songs, forty years of my
life's work.

My life started to turn to the better, however, when I met a special
lady while I was in Canada on tour. We fell in love and were married
in a quiet ceremony at my home in Nashville in 1990. Although I had
an office in Nashville, I had pretty much become disillusioned with
the direction that country music had taken and chose to stay out
of the mainstream of the business.

In 1998 my wife's father who lived in Canada became quite ill.
A major decision was made. After thirty-five years in Nashville I
returned to Calgary. That same year I was inducted into the
Canadian Country Music Hall of Honor!

With my years of experience and contacts in Nashville, I started
making my services available as a Music Consultant and Producer.

While producing some aspiring talent in Canada in 2001, I got the
desire to return to the recording studio myself as an artist.
Over the course of the last eight years I have recorded four new
CD's entitled "See Ya, Love Ya, Bye", "Real Love", "Pure Ivory",
(a piano instrumental CD featuring both old standards and new
compositions), and "Bring It On" my latest CD released in 2009.
The great response to my CD "24 Carat Country Gold 1", which
contains 24 of my greatest hits as an Artist and Songwriter
led to the release of "24 Carat Country Gold 11", which contains
22 more of my greatest hits as an Artist and Songwriter plus two
never before released recording's both of which were made into
music video's and are available in "DVD" on my website. Three of
my most popular CD's from yesteryear "Canada (My Native Land)"
a 22 song CD of songs paying tribute to Canada, a country gospel
CD "Adam's Child" and my Christmas CD "There'll Always Be Christmas",
along with Cassettes, Vinyl recording's and Autographed pictures are
also available on my Website at RAY'S STORE.

I feel like the pitfalls in my life have made me a stronger and a better
person. The highs far out weigh the lows!
I never fail to thank God for the talent He has given me and for His
many blessings.



the BIO   the LATEST   the AWARDS   the COMPOSITIONS
Ray's HOUSE     Ray's STORE      Ray's PHOTOS     LINKS



Copyright 2000 - 2012 Ray Griff (All Rights Reserved)