David Ray

A former New York City cab driver, bartender, bouncer, and actor, David Ray’s award-winning songs have been described as “cinematic.” They’ve been sung by artists as varied as Grammy-winner Shawn Colvin and Dove Award winner Kathy Troccoli, and recorded by producers from Arif Mardin (Aretha Franklin) to Ric Wake (Whitney Houston). Along with Lyle Lovett, Richie Havens, Julie Gold (From a Distance) and others, his early Fast Folk recordings are now part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. As a performer, he’s shared the stage with Roger McGuinn, Shawn Colvin, John Leventhal, Dave Alvin, Lucy Kaplanski, Marshall Crenshaw, Joan Osborne, Paula Poundstone, Cliff Eberhardt, Maia Sharp, Mark Ford, KJ Denhert, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, and many more. His latest album, and the title song, "So I Run," produced by Andy Stack (Yola, Girl from the North Country), featuring CMHOF inductee Cindy Cashdollar and an all-star ensemble, has already received multiple awards (2022 HOFA International Song Contest, 2022 International Song Contest (ISC), and the 2023 Shiner/VEVA Collect Song Contest).