Ray Sharpe

Ray Sharpe (born 8 February 1938, Fort Worth, Texas) is an American R&B and rockabilly singer, guitarist and songwriter.

He grew up influenced by country as well as blues music, and many of his recordings are classed as rockabilly – he was described by one producer as "the greatest white-sounding black dude ever" [http://www.bsnpubs.com/dot/dotstoryb.html] . His recording career started in Phoenix in 1958, when Lee Hazlewood produced his single "That's the Way I Feel / Oh, My Baby's Gone". His second record, "Linda Lu / Monkey’s Uncle" – both sides written by Sharpe, produced by Hazlewood, and featuring Duane Eddy and Al Casey on guitars – was much more successful, reaching # 46 on the Billboard charts in 1959. “Linda Lu” has subsequently been recorded by many artists including the Rolling Stones, Flying Burrito Brothers, and Tom Jones.

Subsequent single releases on a variety of labels were less successful. These included recordings made in 1966 with King Curtis, which featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar. However, Sharpe’s songs have been recorded by acts ranging from Neil Young to J.B. Hutto, and he has continued to release records as well as performing regularly in the Fort Worth area.