{{Short description|English musician (1949–2023)}} {{more citations needed|date=July 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians --> | name = Ray Shulman | image = RayShulmanViolin.jpg | caption = Shulman performing in 1977 | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Raymond Shulman | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|1949|12|08|df=y}} | birth_place = Portsmouth, Hampshire, England | death_date = {{death date and age|2023|03|30|1949|12|08|df=y}} | death_place = London, England | instrument = {{hlist|Bass guitar|vocals|violin|viola|guitar|trumpet|recorder|keyboards|drums|percussion}} | genre = Progressive rock | occupation = {{hlist|Musician|songwriter|record producer}} | years_active = 1960s–2023 | label = | past_member_of = {{hlist|Simon Dupree and the Big Sound|Gentle Giant}} | website = }}
'''Raymond Shulman''' (8 December 1949 – 30 March 2023) was a British musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. With his brothers Derek and Phil, he co-founded the progressive rock band Gentle Giant.<ref>{{cite web|title =Gentle Giant: Biography |first=Bruce|last=Eder |publisher=Allmusic| url =http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gentle-giant-p4353/biography |accessdate =5 December 2010}}</ref> Shulman also worked as record producer in the late 1980s and early 1990s for alternative rock artists such as The Sundays and The Sugarcubes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interview: Ray Shulman of Gentle Giant |url=https://spectrumculture.com/2014/08/13/interview-ray-shulman-of-gentle-giant/ |website=Spectrum Culture |access-date=1 April 2023 |date=14 August 2014}}</ref>
==Early life== Ray Shulman was born in Portsmouth to Lewis Shulman and Rebecca Laufer. He was a student at Portsmouth Technical high school. In 1966 joined his brother Derek Shulman's group, Simon Dupree and the Big Sound.
== Career ==
=== Simon Dupree and Gentle Giant === After many years of learning how to play the violin and guitar, he was primed for the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain as a violinist, but his brother Derek convinced him to join his band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, with their eldest brother Phil. They scored a hit in 1967 with Kites. Simon Dupree and the Big Sound later evolved into Gentle Giant in 1970.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/11/ray-shulman-obituary |title=Ray Shulman obituary |first=Michel |last=Faber |date=11 May 2023 |work=The Guardian |access-date=13 May 2023}}</ref> Shulman was in Gentle Giant from the beginning in 1970 to the last tour in 1980.
thumb|Ray Shulman at the Palais Rameau, Lille, France, on 25 May 1976
Primarily playing bass guitar, Shulman was quite adept at other instruments as well, sometimes doubling on violin, recorder, trumpet, and guitar. Shulman and keyboardist-bandmate Kerry Minnear composed or co-wrote much of the music for Gentle Giant.
=== Producing === He went on to become a record producer in the late 1980s and 1990s, working with the Sugarcubes, the Sundays, the Trash Can Sinatras, Ian McCulloch and the Defects, among others. He also created music for several video games, such as ''Privateer 2: The Darkening'' and ''Azrael's Tear'' and released two trance EPs under the pseudonym Head-Doctor.
== Personal life and death == Shulman died in London on 30 March 2023, at the age of 73.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bestclassicbands.com/ray-shulman-obituary-gentle-giant-4-1-23/|last=|first=|title=Ray Shulman, One of 3 Brothers in Prog Rock Band Gentle Giant, Dies at 73|website=Best Classic Bands|date=1 April 2023|access-date=5 April 2023}}</ref> He was said to have been suffering from a long illness. He was survived by his wife, Barbara Tanner, and his two elder brothers, Derek and Phil Shulman. His death was announced via Gentle Giant's social media on 1 April 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gentle Giant |url=https://twitter.com/GGIANTMUSIC/status/1642210214563958786 |access-date=13 May 2023 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Scharf |first1=Natasha |title=Gentle Giant's Ray Shulman dead at 73 |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/gentle-giants-ray-shulman-dead-at-73 |website=LouderSound |access-date=1 April 2023 |language=en |date=1 April 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{discogs artist|Ray Shulman}} * {{IMDb name|0795746}} * {{NPG name|id=162882}}
{{Gentle Giant}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shulman, Ray}} Category:1949 births Category:2023 deaths Category:English male bass guitarists Category:British rock violists Category:Progressive rock musicians Category:Simon Dupree and the Big Sound members Category:20th-century English bass guitarists Category:Progressive rock bass guitarists Category:21st-century English guitarists Category:Gentle Giant members Category:20th-century English male musicians Category:21st-century English male musicians Category:20th-century British violists Category:21st-century violists Category:Musicians from Portsmouth Category:Jewish English musicians