Sixty years ago today the Number One song in the US was “Cry” by Johnny Ray. So it was likely at some time on that day anybody listening to the radio near where my mother was birthing me heard this overwrought ballad. I think it is almost perversely appropriate that Ray was crooning the song that made him a 50′s star because, like him, I am gay. Due to his highly emotional singing style, that included bouts of pulling at his hair while performing and the type of torch songs he recorded, he was derisively called “The Nabob of Sob”.
Of course, Mr. Ray had to stay closeted to have a career. Fortunately, for people like Elton John and Melissa Ethridge times have very much changed.
Ray’s first charting single was actually a double-sided hit. After “Cry” reached the top of the charts an even more bathetic number, ” The Little White Cloud That Cried”, did it, too.
Decades later, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, former members of the Brit band 10CC, had the biggest hit of their careers with another song called “Cry”. This video, a real novelty in its day, was largely responsible for helping the song become a hit as it was in heavy rotation on the then influential MTV.
Interestingly, record sales weren’t tabulated officially in the United Kingdom until November of 1952. Instead, sheet music sales determined the biggest hit of the day. Mario Lanza, the popular operatic tenor from The States, had the most sheet music sales on January 27th. How fitting, another tragic musical figure . . .
kbartx
January 27, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Ray was a great favorite on the juke box at Mary’s in Greenwich Village, one of the mafia owned gay bars. I don’t think he had a third hit.
Centaureg
January 27, 2012 at 5:54 PM
Believe it or not, Ray had 25 top 30 hits between 1951 and 1957. At least 5 of them, other than “Cry” and “Little White Cloud That Cried” went into the Top Ten. He also had Top Ten hits in Britain and Australia that weren’t hits here. “Just Walkin’ In The Rain” was a big hit for him. He has a star on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame. Other than that the man is pretty much forgotten. He died at age 63 in 1990 of complications of cirrhosis of the liver from his alcoholism. He was significantly deaf in both ears. You can see his hearing aid in the video of his live performance of “Little White Cloud”.
H.E. ELLIS
January 28, 2012 at 12:39 PM
I remember the Godly and Cream version, but never knew it was a remake. Thanks for introducing me to the original. Happy Birthday!!!
Centaureg
January 29, 2012 at 6:29 PM
Oh sorry, H. E. “Cry” by Godley and Creme is not a remake of the song by Johnny Ray. Two very different songs with the same title. There was no video for Johnny Ray’s “Cry” so I posted the other “Cry” just as a matter of interest.
Thanks for the birthday greeting.