Biography
Ray Ellis worked for six decades as a producer, arranger, and composer whose projects linked Billie Holiday with Barbra Streisand and Emmylou Harris. He also achieved notable television success by composing nearly all background scores for the Filmation animation studio between 1968 and 1982. Born in Philadelphia on July 28, 1923, Ellis took up the saxophone at age 12 and mastered every reed instrument inside the next three years. During World War II service at Fort Knox, he handled arrangements for the U.S. Army Band and later observed: "That's where I got my musical education. I was put into the band and the men couldn't get away from my arrangements. Even if I wrote a bad one, I couldn't get fired." After the war he returned to Philadelphia for radio work and later hosted a live jazz program on WCAU television while playing tenor saxophone for Gene Krupa and Paul Whiteman, then moved to New York City in 1954.
Columbia Records producer Mitch Miller brought Ellis onto the staff as an arranger the next year, where he contributed to pop successes such as the Four Lads' "Standing on the Corner" and Johnny Mathis' "A Certain Smile." Ellis and his orchestra notably backed jazz icon Holiday on her 1958 album Lady in Satin, with Ellis later recounting: "I would say that the most emotional moment was her listening to the playback of 'I'm a Fool to Want You.' There were tears in her eyes." He added forty years afterward, "After we finished the album I went into the control room and listened to all the takes. I must admit I was unhappy with her performance, but I was just listening musically instead of emotionally. It wasn't until I heard the final mix a few weeks later that I realized how great her performance really was." In 1959 Ellis became A&R director at MGM Records, guiding releases including Connie Francis' "Where the Boys Are" and Sarah Vaughan's "Broken Hearted Melody." He also led his own easy listening albums such as Ellis in Wonderland and Let's Get Away from It All.
During a period at Atlantic Records under Jerry Wexler, Ellis altered his musical path before returning briefly to Columbia to arrange Streisand's 1964 album The Third Album. After moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s, he concentrated on television and frequently credited compositions to his wife Yvette Blais, scoring Filmation series from The Archie Show through Fantastic Voyage to The Hardy Boys across fourteen years. He still took occasional studio assignments, producing country chanteuse Emmylou Harris' 1970 debut Gliding Bird. In retirement Ellis led multiple fundraising campaigns for the Ojai Music Festival. He died of melanoma complications at his Encino residence on October 27, 2008.
Columbia Records producer Mitch Miller brought Ellis onto the staff as an arranger the next year, where he contributed to pop successes such as the Four Lads' "Standing on the Corner" and Johnny Mathis' "A Certain Smile." Ellis and his orchestra notably backed jazz icon Holiday on her 1958 album Lady in Satin, with Ellis later recounting: "I would say that the most emotional moment was her listening to the playback of 'I'm a Fool to Want You.' There were tears in her eyes." He added forty years afterward, "After we finished the album I went into the control room and listened to all the takes. I must admit I was unhappy with her performance, but I was just listening musically instead of emotionally. It wasn't until I heard the final mix a few weeks later that I realized how great her performance really was." In 1959 Ellis became A&R director at MGM Records, guiding releases including Connie Francis' "Where the Boys Are" and Sarah Vaughan's "Broken Hearted Melody." He also led his own easy listening albums such as Ellis in Wonderland and Let's Get Away from It All.
During a period at Atlantic Records under Jerry Wexler, Ellis altered his musical path before returning briefly to Columbia to arrange Streisand's 1964 album The Third Album. After moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s, he concentrated on television and frequently credited compositions to his wife Yvette Blais, scoring Filmation series from The Archie Show through Fantastic Voyage to The Hardy Boys across fourteen years. He still took occasional studio assignments, producing country chanteuse Emmylou Harris' 1970 debut Gliding Bird. In retirement Ellis led multiple fundraising campaigns for the Ojai Music Festival. He died of melanoma complications at his Encino residence on October 27, 2008.