Ray Frushay (March 1, 1944 - August 8, 2022) was a Country and western singer-songwriter, who enjoyed moderate success in the 1960s, although a long-term record deal eluded him.
Ray was born Raymond Frusha in the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego, California to G. Ray and Loyce Eskew Frusha. While in McCallum High School, he played his songs for local DJ and manager Clyde "Barefoot" Chesser who introduced Ray to the Country Music Variety Shows at the Austin Municipal Auditorium. From there, Ray was quickly seen on the Louisiana Hayride, the Grand Ole Opry, and stages across America, charting records from the early age of eighteen. Ray was seen on such national television shows as the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Merv Griffin Show, and the Joey Bishop Show.
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| Ray with Johnny Cash |
While Ray was a prolific songwriter in the 60s and 70s, he was also in demand as a performer. He either opened for or did concerts with people like Johnny Cash, Mel Tillis, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Statler Bros. Roger Miller, Doug Kershaw, Jim Reeves, Porter Wagner, June Carter…..and the list goes on and on. But, it wasn’t only country stars! There’s that blues and rockin’ side, too, with the likes of BB King, Little Richard, and Ike/Tina Turner. The list goes on and on.
Later, Ray was discovered by boxer Rocky Marciano and was transitioned to perform as a "pop" singer and actor. He had an abundant recording career from roughly 1960 to 1980. During his acting career he appeared in two films, one being “Ransome Money” in 1970 where he played “Officer Smith”. However, for the first half of the 'Seventies, he was officially a major-label recording artist, but Dot/Paramount never green-lighted a full album, so Frushay kept chugging along a parallel course as an indie musician and working hotel lounge gigs and doing impersonations also in the clubs of Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno.
In 1976, Ray revived his career releasing his last album "Frushay Country," although he continued to record singles for several years to come. His lone charting single, a private-press release called "I Got Western Pride," came out a few years after this, in 1979. His last single was released in 1980 also on the Western Pride label. He also hosted a local country music television show in Monroe, Louisiana.
Since retirement, Ray enjoyed and was thankful for a renewed friendship with his ex-wife Barbara Covington, He also enjoyed playing his guitar and singing for friends in his new community of Hempstead, Texas. Although Ray recently suffered from cancer, heart disease, leg and lung issues, he died from natural causes on August 8, 2022 at the age of 78 years in Hempstead, Texas. He was buried in the Fairview Cemetery in Bastrop, Texas.
His true legacy may be his daughter Sheri Frushay, a country-rock artist with whom he co-wrote “Walk Tall Cowboy”.
(Snippets of information mainly edited from Cypresss Fairbanks Funeral Home obit & The Texas and Music Story)