Rest in peace, Ray Davis

[Willie Poole]

On Dec. 3rd Ray Davis passed away...Ray was a well know disc jockey and announcer around the Washington DC area working for WAMU and he put a lot of effort into making bluegrass a popular music in this area...WAMU is going to still broadcast his shows for a few months which I think is a good idea so that his memory can be with us all in the months to come...

I`m sure someone will post more about this soon...

Willie

[CharlieKnuth]

This is very sad. I listened to Ray for many, many years. He brought a lot of joy into many of our lives. He will be remembered for play his plum pitiful songs. RIP, Ray.

[Andy B]

This is sad news. He had given up his WAMU show in the last year or so. Ray's broadcast career included a long ago stint on border radio in Texas, and every now and then on WAMU he'd do the station ID for his old border station in Spanish just for nostalgia's sake. In the 1960s, he was on the radio in Baltimore sponsored by Johnny's used cars ("the walking man's friend"), and in those days he made the legendary "basement tapes" recordings of bluegrass legends, including Clyde Moody, the Stanley Brothers, Don Reno, Charlie Moore, etc. When he began at WAMU in the 80's he brought a focus on classic bluegrass and an easygoing manner that managed to convey a lot of information about the music in a friendly, low-key way. Along with his WAMU cohort Gary Henderson (who is still broadcasting on Saturday morning), Ray Davis was one of the legendary bluegrass disc jockeys. He will really be missed.

[J.Albert]

RIP, Ray.

I recorded a number of Ray's WAMU broadcasts on minidisc, and for years have listened to them on the Harley (of all places).

The one show of his that I missed and would enjoy having a copy of, is his last broadcast.

Does anyone know if that can be found, and where?

[Willie Poole]

In todays Washington Post there is a half page article about Ray Davis...I guess you could bring it up on the internet by going to WWW.Washington Post/Ray Davis....

Willie

[mandobassman]

My very first exposure to Bluegrass music was in 1973 at the Delaware Bluegrass Festival in Gloryland Park (which was the 3rd Annual). I went to almost every one of those festivals, including after it moved to Woodstown, NJ. Ray Davis was one of the most familiar voices to me as he MC'd virtually every one of those festivals. I lived in the DC area for a couple of years and it was such a pleasure to hear his work as a radio DJ after hearing him at the festivals for so many years. What a wonderful person and what a fantastic supporter of Bluegrass. He will be sorely missed in the Bluegrass community.