Ray Sharpe

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Ray Sharpe (born February 8, 1938, Fort Worth, Texas, United States) is an American R&B and rockabilly singer, guitarist, and songwriter.

He grew up influenced by country as well as blues music, and many of his recordings are classed as rockabilly – he was described by one record producer as "the greatest white-sounding black dude ever".^[1] His recording career started in Phoenix, Arizona in 1958, when Lee Hazlewood produced his single, "That's the Way I Feel" / "Oh, My Baby's Gone". His second record, "Linda Lu"^[2] / "Monkey’s Uncle" – both sides written by Sharpe, produced by Hazlewood, and featuring Duane Eddy and Al Casey on guitars – was much more successful, reaching #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. “Linda Lu” has subsequently been covered by many artists, including the Rolling Stones, Johnny Kidd And The Pirates, Flying Burrito Brothers, and Tom Jones.

Subsequent single releases on a variety of record labels were less successful. These included recordings made in 1966 with King Curtis, which featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar. However, Sharpe’s songs have been recorded by acts ranging from Roy Head and the Traits to Neil Young and J. B. Hutto, and he has continued to release records, as well as performing regularly in the Fort Worth area.

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