James Ray

James Ray may refer to:

See also

James Ray (singer)

James Ray (1941 – c. 1964), born James Jay Raymond, was an African-American R&B singer of the early 1960s best known for the hit single "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", which went to number 10 on Billboard's R&B chart and number 22 on the pop chart in 1962. He also recorded the original version of "Got My Mind Set on You", later a number-1 hit for George Harrison.

Career

Born in Washington D.C., Ray stood just 5' tall and first recorded as Little Jimmy Ray, releasing "Make Her Mine" on the Galliant label in 1959. It was unsuccessful and by 1961 he was destitute and living on a rooftop, though still performing in clubs. Songwriter Rudy Clark befriended him, and persuaded Gerry Granahan of Caprice Records to sign him. Using the name James Ray, his first recording was of Clark's song, "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody", arranged by Hutch Davie. The record was a hit on both the pop and R&B charts. The single was issued in the UK in 1962 as well, and the song was performed by The Beatles before being discovered by Freddie and the Dreamers, who took it into the UK top 5 the year after.

James Ray (historian)

James Ray was an English historian, most notable for his chronicle of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, A Complete History of the Rebellion in 1745: From its first rise, in 1745, to its total suppression at the glorious battle of Culloden, in April, 1746 (1749, printed by John Jackson, Petergate, York).

Ray was born in Whitehaven, Cumberland. He marched to join the royal garrison at Carlisle in the autumn of 1745 at the time when Charles Edward Stuart's army was marching from Edinburgh. However Carlisle surrendered to the Jacobites before Ray reached the city, and Ray followed the Jacobite army to Derby. The information he gleaned from this expedition he reported to the Duke of Cumberland, whose forces he met at Stafford on 5 January 1746 and with whom he stayed until the Jacobite forces were finally defeated at Culloden in April.

Ray published The acts of the rebels, written by an Egyptian in 1746 and his history of the Jacobite rebellion.

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