Ray Lynam is an Irish

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

singer, born on 29 November 1951 in Moate, Co. Westmeath.

Career

Ray was born in Moate, County Westmeath to Patrick, a baker, and Nora, a shopkeeper. He was one of three sons, his brothers being Padraic and John. His first venture into the music scene was when he played saxophone for a local group "the Merrymen" while still attending the local Carmelite College Secondary School. By 1969 he had joined and was lead singer for the group Ray Lynam and the Hillbillies and had their first Irish Charts success with a cover of the Buck Owens song "Sweet Rosie Jones". During the Wembley Country Music Festival of 1974, he teamed up with one of Irelands leading female country singers,

Philomena Begley Philomena Begley (born 20 October 1942) is a country music singer from Northern Ireland. In 1975, Begley had a hit with her version of the Billie Jo Spears' song Blanket on the Ground reaching higher sales then Spears in both the UK and Irelan ...

and went on to record many hit duets with her, including

My Elusive Dreams "My Elusive Dreams" is a country music song written by Billy Sherrill and Curly Putman. Putman recorded his song in March 1967 and released it on ABC Records in June 1967, peaking at #41 on the Hot Country Singles charts and #34 on the Bubbling ...

in 1975.

Style

Lynam’s singing voice is closely modeled on those American country singers that influenced his early career, such as George Jones and Merle Haggard, rather than the more popular (in Ireland at that time)

Country and Irish Country and Irish is a musical subgenre in Ireland formed by mixing North American country-style music with Irish influences. It is especially popular in the rural Midlands and North-West of the country, but less so in urban areas or in the South- ...

style. He has had hits on the Irish charts during the 1970s and 1980s with cover versions of some of their well-known tracks including He Stopped Loving Her Today and If We're Not Back in Love by Monday.

Selected discography

Singles

*1970 - " Busted" / " Heartaches by the Number" *1970 - "

Sweet Rosie Jones ''Sweet Rosie Jones'' is an album by Buck Owens and his Buckaroos, released in 1968. Track listing All songs by Buck Owens unless otherwise noted. Side one # "Hello Happiness Goodbye Loneliness" # "Sweet Rosie Jones" # "If I Had Three Wishes" ( ...

" *1971 - "Gypsy Joe and Me" *1971 - " Will You Visit Me on Sunday?" *1971 - "Santa Looks a Lot Like Daddy" *1972 - "The Selfishness of Man" (IRE #14) *1972 - "Brand New Mister Me" (IRE #6) *1973 - "

I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me "I Can't Believe That You've Stopped Loving Me" is a song written by Dallas Frazier and A.L. "Doodle" Owens, and recorded by American country music artist Charley Pride. It was released in September 1970 as the second single from the album ''From ...

" (IRE #12) *1973 - "You're the One I Can't Live Without" (with

) (IRE #5) *1973 - " Borrowed Angel" (IRE #8) *1974 - "Second Hand Flowers" (IRE #2) *1974 - "

" (with Philomena Begley) (IRE #3) *1975 - " The Door is Always Open" (IRE #9) *1975 - "I've Loved You All Over the World" (IRE #11) *1976 - "You're the One I Sing My Love Songs To" (IRE #5) *1977 - "Golden Ring" *1977 - "

Wolverton Mountain "Wolverton Mountain" is a country music song and 1962 crossover hit that established Claude King's career as an American country singer-songwriter. The song was a rewrite of the original version by Merle Kilgore, which was based on a real person n ...

" *1978 - "

Sweet Music Man "Sweet Music Man" is a song written and recorded by American musician Kenny Rogers. It appears on his 1977 album ''Daytime Friends'', from which it was released as the final single. History In 1977, the song reached number 9 on the country music ...

" (IRE #15) *1979 - "I Don't Want to See Another Town" (IRE #13) *1980 - "Shower the People" *1982 - "What a Lie" (IRE #18) *1983 - " He Stopped Loving Her Today" (IRE #17) *1983 - "Girls Women and Ladies" *1984 - " If We're Not Back in Love by Monday" *1985 - "

Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile" is a song written by Johnny Cunningham and recorded by David Allan Coe. It was the first single from Coe's 1984 album ''Just Divorced'', and was released to radio in early 1984. The song is Coe's highest-charting single, ...

" (IRE #10) *1985 - "Fire of Two Old Flames" (with Philomena Begley) *1986 - "Too Late" / "Wintertime" (with Paul Cleary) *1986 - "To Be Lovers" *1988 - "Beautiful Woman" *1990 - "Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart"

References

Musicians from County Westmeath Irish country singers 1951 births Living people People from Moate {{ireland-singer-stub