"LEGENDS OF ROCKABILLY/ROCKNROLL. RAY CAMPI!

 

 '''Ray Campi''' (born April 20, 1934 in [[Yonkers, New York]]) is a distinguished musician often called ''The King of [[Rockabilly]]''. Campi's trademark is his white [[double bass]], which he often jumps on top of and "rides" while playing.

After his family moved to [[Austin, Texas]] in 1944, Campi began a lifetime of performing and recording music in numerous American genres, including [[folk music|folk]], [[country music|country]], and [[rock and roll]] as well as rockabilly. Early on he recorded on [[Domino Records (1950s)|Domino Records]]<ref name=htl1>{{cite web |title=RECORDING INDUSTRY |url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/RR/ebr2_print.html |date= |work=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=[[The Texas State Historical Association]] |accessdate=2009-06-28}}</ref> He rarely concentrated on his musical career exclusively, working a wide variety of jobs, notably twenty-five years spent as a high-school [[teacher]] in [[Van Nuys, California]]. His career never really took off until the early 1970s when he was rediscovered by [[Ronnie Weiser]], the owner of [[Rollin' Rock Records]]. Campi began touring Great Britain and Europe and has regularly played festivals there ever since. Though now in his seventies, he remains a dynamic performer. He has also recorded with German, Finnish, British and Dutch rockabilly bands over the past two decades, and has produced his own albums with artists such as [[Rosie Flores]], [[Bobby 'Fats' Mizell]] and [[Ian Whitcomb]].

Ray continues to gig and record with his longtime Rockabilly Rebels band consisting of Kevin Fennell (his lead Guitarist since 1977), Rip Masters on piano for 30 years, Pep Torres on rhythm guitar and DJ Bonebrake on drums.

In the 1950s Ray Campi recorded for several labels, including Dot Records, and recorded the first tribute record to the 1959 [[Buddy Holly]] plane crash, 'The Ballad of Donna and Peggy Sue', backed by the [[Big Bopper]]'s band. He also worked with many of the most prominent pioneers of rock and roll music, including [[Bill Haley]], [[Buddy Holly]], [[Elvis Presley]], and [[Gene Vincent]]. He has fiercely criticized the mainstream music industry, in particular its connections with [[drug culture]].

Ray Campi is a member of the [[Rockabilly Hall of Fame]].

Many of Ray Campi's earliest 1950s recordings weren't issued until the 1980s and 1990s, mostly on European albums. But the following were issued on 45-rpm and, in some cases, 78-rpm. "Caterpillar" was considered his most popular record until his revival in the 1970s.
*TNT 145 "Caterpillar"/"Play It Cool" 1956

*Dot 15617 "It Ain't Me"/"Give That Love to Me" 1957
*Domino 700 "My Screamin' Screamin' Mimi"/"Uh Huh Huh" 1958
*Domino 701 "You Gambled"/"No Time" 1958
*D-104 "Ballad of Donna and Peggy Sue"/"The Man I Met (Tribute to the Big Bopper)" 1959
*Verve 10208 "Our Man in Havana"/"Reprieve of Love" 1960
*Colpix 166 "Cry For Happy"/"Hear What I Wanna Hear" 1960
               

                          

Early Discography

Many of Ray Campi's earliest 1950s recordings weren't issued until the 1980s and 1990s, mostly on European albums. But the following were issued on 45-rpm and, in some cases, 78-rpm. "Caterpillar" was considered his most popular record until his revival in the 1970s.

• TNT 145 "Caterpillar"/"Play It Cool" 1956

• Dot 15617 "It Ain't Me"/"Give That Love to Me" 1957
• Domino 700 "My Screamin' Screamin' Mimi"/"Uh Huh Huh" 1958
• Domino 701 "You Gambled"/"No Time" 1958
• D-104 "Ballad of Donna and Peggy Sue"/"The Man I Met (Tribute to the Big Bopper)" 1959
• Verve 10208 "Our Man in Havana"/"Reprieve of Love" 1960
• Colpix 166 "Cry For Happy"/"Hear What I Wanna Hear" 1960