Let the "Good Times" Roll: New Exhibit Celebrates the Life and Career of Ray Price
By John Hood
© 2006 CMA Close Up News Service / Country Music Association, Inc.
December 5, 2006
© Donn Jones
© Ray Price at "For the Good Times:The Ray Price Story" exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photographer: Donn Jones
Ray Price presents one of the most interesting paradoxes in American music. He is a man who is an icon and a giant in the Country Music genre. He charted a remarkable 108 songs including such seminal hits as "Crazy Arms," "Make the World Go Away," "For the Good Times" and "Nightlife." Price's influence caused seismic shifts in the way Country Music was performed, not once, but twice. Yet, as an artist, Price doesn't have the same name brand recognition that other legendary performers do, including many that he helped along the way by giving them jobs in his band (Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Johnny PayCheck) or recording their songs (Kris Kristofferson).
"For the Good Times: The Ray Price Story," a new exhibit at The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, aims to change that. The nearly year-long exhibit (it opened August 2006 and runs through June 2007) chronicles the career of one Country Music's most influential artists. The exhibit features stage costumes, early business documents, awards, instruments, fan club memorabilia, vintage photographs, show posters and audio and video. It spans the entire spectrum of Price's 50-plus year career, from his early days touring with Hank Williams through present day.
The exhibit is presented in nine biographical panels with text to accompany artifacts and memorabilia. It's not only a showcase of Price's accomplishments; in many ways it's a snapshot of the history of Country Music in the latter half of the 20th century.
"Ray Price is a man of singular and enduring artistic vision who played a central role in the history of Country Music," said Museum Director Kyle Young. "Mentored and influenced by Hank Williams, Price's music now clearly affects the sound of contemporary artists like George Strait and Alan Jackson. At 80 years old, Price continues to make memorable recordings and inspire standing ovations in prestigious concert halls like the Ryman Auditorium and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Yet, even though he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame 10 years ago, his very important contributions to the health and welfare of Country Music are either not well-known or are too-little appreciated. We hope this exhibit will change that. The Museum approached Ray in early summer 2005, following his performance here in honor of Kris Kristofferson in May. We were thrilled when he agreed to cooperate with us in creating 'For the Good Times: The Ray Price Story.'"
Price's cooperation gives the Museum the opportunity to offer a particularly intimate glimpse into the legendary singer's history as a performer starting from the very beginning of his career as a Williams disciple. Early on he copied Williams' sound and often performed with Williams' band the Drifting Cowboys. The unique, shuffle-based honky tonk style he went on to develop is still prevalent today, but it is perhaps best exemplified by his own recording of "Crazy Arms," which hit the No. 1 spot back in 1956.
"Everybody was laughing about the song and didn't think it would do any good because it was called 'Crazy Arms,'" Price recalled. "I'm the one that came up with that shuffle beat, and we used it to do the song and it just fit like a glove. I knew that I was doing something I wanted to hear, something different, and it was the first million-seller for me."
As an established artist with a signature honky tonk sound, Price initially resisted the smoother pop sounds that were beginning to work their way into Nashville recordings by the 1960s. But with his seminal 1967 recording of "Danny Boy" - recorded with a 47-piece orchestra - Price ushered in the orchestral pop/ Country sound that dominated Country airwaves for the next decade. While it eventually brought his career and his music to new heights, Price initially was forced to deal with the rejection of both fans and radio programmers.
"It wasn't a good feeling," Price said. "Disc jockeys got on the air and said, 'I'm not ever going to play another Ray Price record.' What can you do? You can't stand still, because if you do you're never going to get anywhere, and music is the same way. I was searching for a hit. I wasn't caring how I got it; I just wanted to get one."
"For the Good Times" offers an interesting glimpse into how Price's stage costumes changed throughout the years to reflect the evolving sound of his music. The exhibit features some stunning examples of embroidered stage suits from famed designer Nudie from Price's honky tonk period. His later suits were more urbane and understated to reflect the more sophisticated sound he'd adopted. There's also a 1980s-era suit from Nashville-based clothing designer Manuel.
One of the earliest artifacts on display is a copy of Price's first record "Jealous Lies," which was released on the Bullet record label. The single dates back to 1949-50. There are also fan club newsletters from the '60s and the box that held the original tape of "For the Good Times," Price's chart-topping signature hit from 1970.
The exhibit also highlights the Texas-born star's life away from the stage. A lifelong animal lover (he attended veterinary school before becoming a professional singer), he bought a ranch in East Texas near his birthplace where he raises horses. The exhibit features photos, saddles and trophies that chronicle his life on the ranch and a variety of his other non-musical endeavors.
If Price's reaction to "For the Good Times" is any indication (he wept at the opening reception), the exhibit is doing its job of honoring and promoting a man of vision and courage who helped define Country Music.
"Well, I got to looking at 60 years of my life," Price said. "It's kind of a moving thing."
Even with all the emotion and reflection that goes along with such a comprehensive career retrospective, Price is all about living in the present and he's just as excited as ever about the future.
"I don't believe I've lost anything," Price said. "In fact, it seems like it's gotten more defined as we go along. I hear a song that plays on the radio and it grabs me, and I still get that same feeling. They put me in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame not too long ago and this year they put me in the Western Swing Hall of Fame. This is what I love to do, it's what I was born to do, and I'm going to try my hardest to do it the best I can."
