Gil Ray
| Gil Ray | |
|---|---|
Gil Ray in 1985
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | George Gilbert Ray |
| Born | September 17, 1956 |
| Died | January 24, 2017 (aged 60) |
| Genres | Power pop, alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Drummer |
| Instruments | Drums, guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1970s–2016 |
| Labels | 125 Records |
| Associated acts | Game Theory, The Loud Family, Rain Parade |
Gil Ray (September 17, 1956 – January 24, 2017) was an American rock drummer, guitarist, and vocalist, best known for his recordings in the 1980s and 1990s as a member of the bands Game Theory and The Loud Family. In late 2012, he joined Rain Parade as drummer for a series of reunion performances.
Gil Ray grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and formed his first band as a child in 1966.
By the mid-1970s, Ray began playing in several local Charlotte bands with a variety of styles that included glam rock, prog rock, jazz, disco, and punk/new wave. In 1979, he recorded a 12" single with a band called The Happy Eggs, followed by their 1981 four-song EP Wake Up, which was reissued on vinyl by DBK Works in July 2014.
Ray moved to San Francisco in 1982, where he played in several bands including goth rockers Fade To Black.
In 1985, Gil Ray joined the band Game Theory, led by Scott Miller. As drummer and backing vocalist for Game Theory, Ray recorded three studio albums produced by Mitch Easter.
The 1986 album The Big Shot Chronicles was recorded in September 1985 in Winston-Salem, during the middle of the band's tour supporting an album by the band's previous line-up. Spin's review of The Big Shot Chronicles called it "a rare commodity... a pop record that can actually make you laugh and cry and squirm all at once."The Big Shot Chronicles was described as "harsh, dense, and metallic-sounding," and "damned ambitious as pop fare goes nowadays," citing the "difficult time signatures" and "criss-cross rhythms" as distinctive.
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