Ray Wylie Hubbard

Ray Wylie Hubbard
 by Don Henry Ford, Jr.

I knew one song Ray Wylie Hubbard wrote and sang long before I knew anything about the man. Up against the wall Red-neck Mother
became an anthem of sorts for those in my circle—that of hard drinking,
blue collar cowboys and rednecks. And actually the voice that made the
song popular was not his own, but rather that of Jerry Jeff Walker who
covered the tune on this album and live shows around the land.

{mosimage}But
sometimes what appears to be a blessing, and is in fact at some level,
can also be a curse. Ray Wylie not only sang this song, but he tried to
live it as well. And it almost killed him.

Like
an actor that is identified with a particular role, Ray was trapped in
a world of late nights, smoky bars and a booze and drug-blurred vision
of the world. If and when he tried to depart from this scene, the
public outcry for this rebellious anthem lured him back like a moth to
the light that burns the wings and eventually kills.

There
are probably many that helped Ray overcome self-destructive behavior,
but I would say there are probably three, aside from himself, that play
the largest role in his decision to rehabilitate.

Stevie
Ray Vaughn, a Texas blues phenomenon, also lived the life of a hard
partying singer, but at some point decided to quit the booze and the
drugs. A few years before his untimely death, Vaughn sat down with Ray
Wylie for some serious talks. Stevie Ray would die shortly thereafter
in a helicopter accident, but a piece of his spirit lives on today in
the body and the music of Ray.

Then
there’s Judy. Judy saw her share of the rough side of town as well. But
down deep she is a wonderful and an intelligent person and Ray met his
soul mate in her, a woman not only good-looking but also intensely
loyal to him and smart enough to compliment his intelligence.

You see, beneath that rough exterior lies the mind of a genius. An honest to God genius.

Judy
multiplies the essence of the man. It is said that the eyes are the
window to the soul. One look into the eyes of Judy Hubbard reveals
brilliant light. If I don’t miss my guess, it was the miraculous beauty
of Judy’s rehabilitation that finally turned Ray Wylie around, or at
least reinforced his decision to stay on that path.

{mosimage}Their
union produced the third and perhaps most important reason Ray has for
staying sober and doing what’s right in this world, a wonderful young
man by the name of Lucas. You can’t spend five minutes in Ray’s
presence without this boy’s name coming up. He’s crazy about the kid.

Once
Ray sobered up, he had to come to grips with a scary fact. He was a
musician that didn’t know how to play music. The song that made him
famous was a simple tune that involved only a few chords and lyrics a
child could write. So Ray went to work, and at forty, he decided to
take guitar lessons. The result is a sight to behold. Since that day he
has become a master of the craft.

Ray
also began a spiritual journey, which led him not to traditional
churches but to The Source. Wisdom and knowledge was poured out upon
him and he began to use his songs as a medium to teach others and to
spread life lessons. I myself have been a recipient of a few of these
kernels of knowledge and wisdom and remain deeply grateful to this day.

Ray
not only produced good music, but also became an advocate of sober
living for other musicians. His example is living proof that the source
of creativity is not the dope you use, to the contrary, most who use it
do what they do in spite of it.

A couple of years ago, he and Mattson Rainer from KNBT radio in New Braunfels began producing a program which airs on Tuesday nights at seven called, Roots and Branches of Americana.
The show is a live broadcast featuring Ray and touring performers that
come his way. Ray talks with each guest between songs, usually
unaccompanied acoustical versions, complete with any errors a live
unrehearsed program creates. Reminds of a throwback to what radio must
have been like a hundred years ago.

Not
only has this program seen some of the best performers around the
Americana scene, people like Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, James
McMurtry, and Slaid Cleaves, but also a bevy of young and talented
newcomers, with fresh voices and fresh ideas: people like Bleu
Edmonson, Guy Forsyth, and Cody Canada from Cross Canadian Ragweed.

This
contact has proved beneficial not only for these budding artists, but
for their older mentor as well. Some of them have gone on to cover Ray
Wylie’s song, thereby introducing him to a new generation, similar to
what happened in the case of Johnny Cash. And it has resulted in
collaborative efforts soon to be revealed when Ray Wylie releases his
next album.

Ray’s most recent cd, Delirium Tremolos, features a few of his own titles and the songs of others he likes and covers. From my perspective the highlights include, Driving Wheel, Dallas after Midnight, and McMurtry’s Choctaw Bingo. The album is great, but for some reason I suspect his best is yet to come.

I
know for a fact he as hard at it, every night, channeling the spirits
of what is good and right and just into words and carefully crafted
songs for the rest of us. We haven’t heard the last of Mr. Ray Wylie
Hubbard.

For those denied the privilege, go see Ray perform and then buy his albums. There’s not a bad one in the bunch.

Visit Ray Wylie’s website here: http://www.raywylie.com/

Click here to pick up Ray’s latest CD

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About the Author - Don Henry Ford, Jr.
When
Don’s not writing books he lends out his talent to Americana Roots to
put together great articles like this. You can pick up Don’s latest
book Contrabando: Confessions of a Drug Smuggling Cowby at your local
bookstore or online at Cinco Puntos Press.

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