# Little Ray > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Little_Ray > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Little_Ray.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ray > Source revision: 1343416262 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American musician}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Little Ray | image = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = | birth_place = [Delano, California](/source/Delano%2C_California), U.S. | birth_date = Ramon Jimenez | death_date = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} | death_place = | origin = | genre = Soul, R&B | occupation = [Singer](/source/Singing) | label = [Doré](/source/Dor%C3%A9_Records), [Impact](/source/Impact_Records_(California)), Donna, [Warner Bros.](/source/Warner_Records), [Atco](/source/Atco_Records), Faro, [Columbia](/source/Columbia_Records) | associated_acts = The Progressions, [The Premiers](/source/The_Premiers), God's Children, [Thee Midniters](/source/Thee_Midniters) | website = }} '''Little Ray''' also known as Ray Jimenez, is an American [Chicano rock](/source/Chicano_rock) and [brown-eyed soul](/source/brown-eyed_soul) [musician](/source/musician), prominent in the 1960s. Jimenez was born and raised in [Delano, California](/source/Delano%2C_California), and later moved to [East Los Angeles](/source/East_Los_Angeles%2C_California). Jimenez briefly sang with [Thee Midniters](/source/Thee_Midniters), another East Los Angeles band. He then performed with Little Ray & the Progressions, which became the Little Ray Revue''.'' ==Background== ===Personal life=== He was born in [Delano, California](/source/Delano%2C_California) and grew up in the area. His brothers worked at a fast food stand, and behind the stand was a jukebox. As a boy, he would sing along with it. He would memorize songs heard on the jukebox by artists such as [Elvis Presley](/source/Elvis_Presley), [Little Richard](/source/Little_Richard), and [Fats Domino](/source/Fats_Domino).Mark Guerrero Website [http://www.markguerrero.com/17.php Little Ray: East L.A. Superstar of the 60s] Later he moved to [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles). He was schooled at Salesian and Garfield High Schools. ===Music career=== He started singing professionally in the late 1950s. His first single, "There Is Something On Your Mind," was released on Dore Records in or around 1960.White Doo-Wop Collector Tuesday, May 18, 2010 [http://whitedoowopcollector.blogspot.com/2010/05/lil-ray-midnightersloretta.html Lil' Ray & The Midnighters Loretta] In 1962, with backing band [The Premiers](/source/The_Premiers), he recorded a live single, "Shake, Shout And Soul," which was recorded at the [Santa Monica Civic Auditorium](/source/Santa_Monica_Civic_Auditorium). The single was backed with "Soul & Stomp," and released on [Tony Hilder](/source/Anthony_J._Hilder)'s [Impact Records](/source/Impact_Records_(California)) label. ;Thee Midnighters Another single he recorded for Hilder's Impact label was "Loretta," backed with "My Girl." This one was released under the name of Lil' Ray & Thee Midniters.You Found That Eastside Sound Saturday, May 5, 2012 [http://wwwyoufoundthateastsidesoundcom.blogspot.com/2012/05/eastside-legends-little-ray-jimenez.html Eastside Legends - Little Ray Jimenez] For a brief period of time, he was the lead singer for [Thee Midnighters](/source/Thee_Midnighters). In 1964, Jimenez left the group, (and was replaced as lead singer by Willie Garcia, a.k.a. "Little Willie G.").''University of California, Riverside Today'' April 9, 2012 [http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/4791 Little Joe & La Familia to Headline 16th Annual Radio Aztlan Music Festival on April 14 by Ross French]On the Record October 18, 2013 [http://ontherecordshow.blogspot.com/2013/10/thee-midniters-everybody-needs-somebody.html Thee Midnighters - Everybody Needs Somebody] ;Post 1964 In 1965, he recorded a single for the Donna label. The A side was "I Who Have Nothing," a cover of a Ben E. King song, and the B side, "I Been Trying," was written by [Arthur Lee](/source/Arthur_Lee_(musician)), who went on to form the group [Love](/source/Love_(band)). Lee was also the producer.AlbumLinerNotes.com [http://aln3.albumlinernotes.com/The_Dore_Story__Volume_1.html The Dore Story, Volume 1]The R.N. Shrout Website [http://www.shrout.co.uk/Arthur%20Lee%20songs.html Songs written or co-written by Arthur Lee] "I Who Have Nothing" also appears on the 1997 compilation, ''Black Beauty & Rarities,'' which is a compilation of early recordings by Arthur Lee, Ronnie & The Pomona Casuals, and other related artists, (including Little Ray).Discogs [http://www.discogs.com/Love-Black-Beauty-Rarities/release/3451869 Love – Black Beauty & Rarities] For a brief period, he and Thee Midnighters singer Willie Garcia formed a group called God's Children. They would record the theme song for the short lived TV series ''[Matt Lincoln](/source/Matt_Lincoln)'', "Hey, Who Really Cares" (aka "Hey, Does Somebody Care"), written by [Oliver Nelson](/source/Oliver_Nelson) and [Linda Perhacs](/source/Linda_Perhacs). ;2000s In 2012, he was fronting the group Starfire, which included [Carlos Santana](/source/Carlos_Santana)'s son [Salvador Santana](/source/Salvador_Santana).''University of California, Riverside Today'' April 9, 2012 [http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/4791 Little Joe & La Familia to Headline 16th Annual Radio Aztlan Music Festival on April 14 by Ross French] On the Record October 18, 2013 [http://ontherecordshow.blogspot.com/2013/10/thee-midniters-everybody-needs-somebody.html Thee Midnighters - Everybody Needs Somebody] ==Discography== * "My Rainbow" / "There's Something On Your Mind" - [Dore](/source/Dor%C3%A9_Records) 591 - (1961) * "Shake, Shout And Soul" / "Soul & Stomp" - [Impact](/source/Impact_Records_(California)) 26 IMX - (1962) * "Loretta" / "[My Girl](/source/My_Girl_(The_Temptations_song))" - Impact 30 IMX - (1962) * "Come Baby Dance" / "You Can't Hurt Me" - [Warner Brothers](/source/Warner_Bros._Records) 5351 - (1963) * "Karen" / "Come Swim With Me" - Faro 617 - (1964) * "I Who Have Nothing" / "I Been Trying" - Donna 1404 - (1965) * "I Who Have Nothing" / "I Been Trying" - [Atco](/source/Atco_Records) 6355 - (1965) * "It's Good Enough For Me" / ? - ? - (196?) * "I'll Keep On Loving You" / "Leave her Alone" - [Columbia](/source/Columbia_Records) 44287 - (1966 or 1967)You Found That Eastside Sound Saturday, May 5, 2012 [http://wwwyoufoundthateastsidesoundcom.blogspot.com/2012/05/eastside-legends-little-ray-jimenez.html Eastside Legends - Little Ray Jimenez] * "Hey, Does Somebody Care" / "Lonely Lullaby" - [Uni](/source/UNI_Records) 55266 (1970) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links == * [http://markguerrero.net/17.php ''Little Ray - East L.A. Superstar of the 60s''] * [http://www.latinola.com/story.php?story=2282 ''A Pioneer of the East L.A. Sound Lil' Ray Jimenez'', Molina & Firme] * [http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cosabuena CD Nuestra Navidad] {{DEFAULTSORT:Little Ray}} Category:People from Delano, California Category:American musicians of Mexican descent Category:Hispanic and Latino American musicians Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Atco Records artists Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Impact Records (California) artists Category:Uni Records artists Category:Warner Records artists --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Little Ray](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ray) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ray?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.