The Ray Johnston Evolution: From NBA Maverick to Music Maverick

Courtesy RPR Media

Johnston Celebrates Cut on ALABAMA’s New Album “Southern Drawl”

Nashville, TN-(October 6, 2015)-Last month on September 18th, just days before the one year anniversary of the release of his latest album “No Bad Days,” Ray Johnston felt like a kid on Christmas morning when he looked at the track list of “Southern Drawl,” the first new studio album in 14 years from country music’s most iconic and biggest selling supergroups, ALABAMA, and spied the title-track of his album “No Bad Days” among the list. Ray wrote this song with James Otto, James Slater, Patrick Davis, Django Walker, and ALABAMA’s own, Jeff Cook, who added a verse and stars as lead vocals on the track. This is a personal best for Ray and a huge compliment stamped on his “songwriter’s calling card.”  The song is significant, well-written, and is an inspirational serenade that even the Grinch couldn’t reject. It’s damn sure the motto of Ray’s life.

Ray Johnston first made his name widely known in 2004 when he got himself into the NBA as a point guard for the Dallas Mavericks.  He accomplished this as an undrafted free agent, the odds of which are equivalent to winning a Mega-Million lottery. In 2005 he was delivered a crushing blow when he was diagnosed with Leukemia and saw his newly realized dream of playing pro ball dashed.  Since then, Ray has won many battles with the disease, and most recently, has also won the battle of stepping out from under his own shadow as a pro athlete and establishing himself a genuine music artist. This year, Ray Johnston celebrates his successful evolution into a solid music career since the release of his latest album “No Bad Days.” 

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The album has fired off three knockout singles making him a mainstay on the Texas Music Chart, garnered credibility and praise from music critics at home and internationally, snagged a high ranking position on CMT Pure 12-Pack with his video “More Crown Than Coke,” and landed a music spot on the ABC hit drama “Nashville” with his song “Keep It Rollin’.”  Fitting title to a song that has ended up being a mantra for this entire album, cause that it just what it keeps on doing.  Ray Johnston is a very humbled and happy man to see his music being so widely embraced.  One of the highlights and very personal accomplishments of the last year came when he signed a one-year licensing agreement with his alma mater, the University of Alabama, for the use of his originally penned song “Alabama Crimson Tide.” It’s apparent that there are simply no limits to the places his music is taking him.  And he is smiling hard every step of the way. 

The Ray Johnston Band’s live show reputation has snowballed over the last year keeping right in pace with his album’s success. Between full band shows that keep him on the road 150 plus dates a year, he also performs at quite a lot of benefit concerts including, most recently, the Cattle Baron’s Ball, one of the world’s largest single-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society held in Dallas, Texas.  Some of the most revered country music performers have entertained at the ball throughout its 40-year history including Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, George Strait, Dwight Yoakam, Big & Rich, Brad Paisley and 2015 headliner Tim McGraw. Ray has also created his own benefit series “ACS for ACS” (Acoustic Concert Series for American Cancer Society). This is a song-swap style event hosted at different locations across Texas. To date, Ray has successfully pulled off three shows.  Check tour dates at www.rayjohnstonband.com.