When it comes to MUSIC, no one is a solo act. No one learned music all by themselves.
THANK YOU all the people who have inspired me in MUSIC. The list will grow. If I forget someone, remind me and I will add them. These are the people who encouraged me in music. I grew up around music. My sister Brenda plays piano. My brother Lannie plays drums. My Mom does a great lip sync of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin. RIP Aretha. My Dad, Uncle Sonny and the Greenwoods (RJ, Chet & Jerry) had a major impact on me growing up. My second cousin Joey Cooper played guitar for the "Shindogs' host band for "Shindig". Ed Sullivan took me to music school every Sunday night. Thank you Pastor Elbert Pool for teaching me how to sing harmony at Gospel Mission Church. Thank you to my wife Jan and children Bethany, Rachel and Adam for the many nights I was on the road. Forgive me. There's ONE name I love to drop... (the creator of music) the Name above all names! JESUS. Thank YOU.
Thank you to my family who hears me all the time...Jan, Bethany, Cory, Rachel, Slava, Adam, Preston, Luke, Jayeden, Davis, Max, Journey and Bronx. I appreciate the churches and Pastors (and their families) over the years (Gospel Mission, CenterPoint, Lakeside AOG, The Gathering - Elbert & Carole Pool, Bob & Kathy Mixon, Joe & Carolyn Roller, Billy & Donna Burton, Greg & Sherry Whitlow. Thank you to OKC First Nazarene Pastors Jon and Kelly Middendorf and Mike McLaughlin for making us feel like family at the Cole Community Center. Thanks to all of the churches who invited me come to their city over the years. Mexico and South Africa were amazing in the way they worshiped without reservation. Thank you for allowing me to bring some of that back to the US. Thank you to the Executive Producers who believed in me and helped make these song ideas become realities. A whole new batch of songs are brewing! - Ray Hollis
THE NAMES BELOW ARE THE MUSICIANS & SINGERS WHO PERFORMED ON MY CD's.
Others mentioned are those who have played with Ray Hollis in LIVE Performances:
ACOUSTIC: Terry Scarberry (Rodeo Opry), Ray Hollis (The Gathering)
BASS: Dave McKerley (we miss you), Todde Lawton (Toby Mac), John McCall, Johnny Nelson
LIVE: Butch Ramsey, Chad Roper (Kool94), Matt Payne, Mike Myers, Earl Lemons
GUITAR: *Terry Scarberry, Dennis Brewer, John Carroll, Kendall Combes, Pete Aristorenus, Rocky Armstrong, Steven Adams,
Steven Jeffrey, Trent Austin,
LIVE: Daniel Gonzales, Dustin Tompkins, Shane Conaway, Steve Brann
KEYS: *Harold Ross, *Trent Austin, Chris Wilson, Don Johnson, Rick Toops
LIVE: Chris Wilson, Glenn Quirk, LG Hamilton (The Music Group), Nathan Nockles (Watermark)
DRUMS: Chandler Austin, Trent Austin, Mike Walker (Langston University)
LIVE: Brandon Lopez, Brent Berry, Eddie Howard (Legends Branson), James Zenger,
Mike McCraw, Robby Schaffer (Mercy Me), Steve Short, Mark Smith, Tony Mustin
CONGA: Pete Aristorenus
DOBRO / FIDDLE: Milo Deering
FIDDLE / HARMONICA: Dave Short
STEEL GUITAR: Milo Deering, Tommy Detamore
SAX: Tim Coleman (soprano), Charles Martin (alto)
LIVE: Joseph Shirk (Big Daddy Weave)
FLUTE: Dino Baldini
BGV's ON CD's: Bethany Hollis Benton, Brad Bange, Charity Allen, Karen Carter, Kevin Idleman, Kim McCoy,
Kim Price, Latricia Tolerson, Maurice Carter, Melody Johnson, Nick Smith, Rick Toops,
Scott Harrison, Sharron Smith, Stephen Hinkle, Stephanie Hines, Steven Jeffrey, Steve Wright, Trent Austin
LIVE BGV's: Way too many to mention! Thank You!
PRODUCERS/ENGINEERS: Chris Freels, LG Hamilton, Trent Austin (The Music Group), Dave McKerley
LIVE SOUND: Britt Billins, Greg Hawks, Rick Colbert
LIVE SOUND: COVER DESIGN: Kent Winfield, Andy Dugan, Shawn Smith
PHOTOGRAPHY: Amy Coleman, *Kent Winfield, Some dude in Pittsburgh, PA
RAY HOLLIS PLAYS: Taylor 414ce, Taylor K24ce, Takamine FP592me, Fender Tele-Plus, Fender Strat, PRS Tremonti, Samick Charlie Christian Solo-Flight, Yamaha, Nord Stage 3.
INSTRUMENTS: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards and dabbles around with banjo, dobro, drums, harmonica, mandolin, percussion, ukelele
SOME OF THE ARTISTS RAY HOLLIS HAS HAD THE CHANCE TO SHARE THE SAME STAGE AT AN EVENT: Bob Bennett, Darrell Evans,
DC Talk (Toby Mac), Jamie Page, Israel Houghton, Kim Boyce, Lincoln Brewster, Newsboys, Out of Eden, Skillet
AND WHO CAN FORGET ABOUT THOSE WHO PLAYED MUSIC IN OUR BANDS GROWING UP: (mid 70's)
DRUMS: David O'Dell, James Norman, Jerry Greenwood
BASS: Arthur "Butch" Holland, Coleman Sisson (ceo bubbleup.net)
ORGAN: Michael Evans
SINGER: Jeff Newkirk
ICU BAND: (late 80's)
DRUMS: Donny Benedict
BASS/KEYS/VOCALS: Nancy Lanham
LEAD GUITAR: Terry Varnon
VOCALS: Chere Willis Turner