Robert Ray Whitley (November 22, 1943 – May 5, 2013) was an American

beach music Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, and to a lesser extent, beach pop, is a regional genre of music in the United States which developed from rock/ R&B and pop music of the 1950s and 1960s. Beach music is most closely associate ...

composer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for composing hit songs recorded by

The Tams The Tams are an United States, American list of vocal groups, vocal group from Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, who enjoyed their greatest record chart, chart success in the 1960s, but continued to chart in the 1970s, and the 1980s. Two ...

and Guy Darrell, and he also released 14 of his own singles between 1961 and 1970.

Biography

Whitely was born in

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee ...

on November 22, 1943 to Robert S. and Willie Bell Whitley. Whitley was 14 when he formed his first band in his hometown. Producer

Felton Jarvis Charles Felton Jarvis (November 15, 1934 – January 3, 1981) was an American record producer and singer. Career As an RCA Victor record producer, Jarvis was responsible for most recordings of Elvis Presley in the years 1966–1977. He also rele ...

soon discovered him in an Atlanta High School. Jarvis introduced Whitley to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

music producer Bill Lowery, who saw Whitley's potential and signed him to a contract. Whitley's songwriting credits include "

What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am) "What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)" is a 1964 single (music), single written by Robert Ray Whitley, Ray Whitley and recorded by the Tams. Background This track was one of the many hit records recorded at Rick Hall, Rick Hall's FAME Studios ...

" (which reached #9 on the Billboard charts), "

I've Been Hurt "I've Been Hurt" is a popular single by the Tams, Guy Darrell, and Bill Deal and the Rhondels. Written by Ray Whitley, it was originally released in 1965. The Tams version "I've Been Hurt" appeared in the Hit Bulletin section of ''Cash Box'' ...

", " Hey Girl, Don't Bother Me", "You Lied to Your Daddy", and "

Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy" is a soul song. It was first recorded in 1967 by the Sensational Epics and was originally released on Warner Bros. Records. The song has also been recorded by the Tams, Sonia, and others. The Tams version The Ta ...

" (co-written with J.R. Cobb of the Atlanta Rhythm Section) for

. His compositions were also recorded by

Billy Joe Royal Billy Joe Royal (April 3, 1942 – October 6, 2015) was an American country soul singer. His most successful record was " Down in the Boondocks" in 1965. Life and career Born in Valdosta, Georgia, to Clarence and Mary Sue Smith Royal, and ra ...

Tommy Roe Thomas David Roe (born May 9, 1942) is an American rock and pop singer-songwriter. Best-remembered for his hits " Sheila" (1962), "Sweet Pea" (1966) and " Dizzy" (1969), Roe was "widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of th ...

, Guy Darrell,

The Swinging Medallions The Swingin' Medallions are an American beach music group from Greenwood, South Carolina, best known for their 1966 hit single " Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)", which reached #17 in the Billboard charts. History Early years The band was forme ...

, Bill Deal and the Rhondels,

Mylon LeFevre Mylon Rae LeFevre (October 6, 1944 – September 8, 2023) was an American Christian rock singer known for his work with his band Mylon and Broken Heart. He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and traveled around the United States, mi ...

and

Sonia Evans Sonia Evans (born 13 February 1971), known mononymous person, mononymously as Sonia, is an English pop music, pop singer from Liverpool. She had a 1989 UK number one hit with "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" and became the first female UK arti ...

. Whitley toured nationally as a singer and performer, in addition to his work as a songwriter. He was inducted into the

Georgia Music Hall of Fame The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was a hall of fame to recognize music performers and music industry professionals from or connected to the state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It began with efforts of the state's lieutenant governor Zell Mill ...

in 1991. Later in his life, Whitley struggled with alcoholism and homelessness; as of 2011, he was living in a shelter in

Gainesville, Georgia Gainesville is a city and the county seat of Hall County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 42,296. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it has been calle ...

. Whitley died on May 5, 2013, after several months of illness.

Discography as a recording artist

*1961 - I Wasn't Sure / There Goes A Teardrop - Vee Jay USA VJ 414 *1962 - Yessiree-Yessiree / A Love We Can Have And Hold - Vee Jay USA VJ 433 *1962 - It Hurts / Deeper In Love - Vee Jay USA VJ 448 *1963 - Teenage Crush / Young Heartaches - Vee Jay USA VJ 521 *1964 - Walking Back To You / Weep Little Girl Weep - Vee Jay USA VJ 591 *1965 -

/ There Is One Boy - Dunhill USA D-201 *1965 - Runaway / I'll Tell The Robin - Apt USA 45-25086 *1966 - The End Of My World / Just A Boy In Love - Columbia USA 4-43607 *1967 - Take Back Your Mind / Here Today, Gone Tomorrow - Columbia USA 4-43980 *1968 - 1983 / Gotta Go There - TRX USA 45-T-5007 *1969 - Don't Throw Your Love To The Wind / Underdose Of Faith - 123 USA 1707 *1970 - Hey Girl, Don't Bother Me / Everybody - Attarack USA ATT 103

Selected songs written by Ray Whitley

Biography

Discography as a recording artist

Selected songs written by Ray Whitley

References

Further reading