Biography
Ray Ruff, born Marvin Ray Ruffin in Amarillo, Texas in 1938, shaped the trajectories of many Nashville performers through his dual roles as producer and promoter, an achievement that stood in contrast to his own earlier attempts at emulating Buddy Holly. At age 18 he joined the team at Norman Petty’s Clovis, New Mexico studio, the same facility where Holly had cut his initial successes. Following Holly’s death, Petty positioned Ruff as the late singer’s successor and formed the Checkmates as his supporting group. From 1959 through 1963 Ruff recorded roughly two dozen sides under Petty’s supervision, occasionally donning Holly’s signature horn-rimmed glasses during sessions. The resulting singles—“I Need Someone,” “Love Made a Fool of You,” and “My Gift to You”—achieved no commercial traction. Ruff nevertheless absorbed valuable lessons about the business from Petty. After a short stint at the Lin label that yielded the 1964 novelty “Beatle Maniacs,” he launched the short-lived Storme imprint and released his final single under his own name, “Ummm Oh Yeah.” He then moved to Los Angeles and joined Dot Records’ A&R department. Widely recognized for pioneering contemporary music promotion through inventive, attention-grabbing campaigns, Ruff eventually assumed leadership of the label’s A&R operations. He also entered production, collaborating with Glen Campbell, Lesley Gore, Brian Hyland, and the Blue Things.
In 1970 MGM Records president Mike Curb recruited Ruff from Dot to oversee the MGM affiliate Oak Records. While at Oak, Ruff resumed recording and partnered with singer-songwriter Val Stoecklein on the Biblical rock opera Truth of Truths. He took a leave in 1972 for an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives, then returned to music in 1974 to produce Happy Birthday U.S.A., a Bicentennial-themed album commissioned by Congress and the National Endowment for the Arts. During those sessions he met singer Susie Allanson, whom he later managed and married. In 1977 Ruff and Curb established Curb Records, the country imprint that marked the peak of his career. To promote Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life,” he dispatched security trucks to deliver copies to stations nationwide, helping the single hold the top spot on the Billboard pop chart for ten weeks and become one of the decade’s defining recordings. Through Curb’s partnerships with Warner and Capitol, Ruff worked with Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams, Jr., Merle Haggard, and George Strait. He also launched the careers of Dwight Yoakam, Juice Newton, Reba McEntire, and Kathy Mattea. While running a revived Oak label, Ruff suffered congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema, passing away at his home in Saugus, California on September 15, 2005.
In 1970 MGM Records president Mike Curb recruited Ruff from Dot to oversee the MGM affiliate Oak Records. While at Oak, Ruff resumed recording and partnered with singer-songwriter Val Stoecklein on the Biblical rock opera Truth of Truths. He took a leave in 1972 for an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House of Representatives, then returned to music in 1974 to produce Happy Birthday U.S.A., a Bicentennial-themed album commissioned by Congress and the National Endowment for the Arts. During those sessions he met singer Susie Allanson, whom he later managed and married. In 1977 Ruff and Curb established Curb Records, the country imprint that marked the peak of his career. To promote Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life,” he dispatched security trucks to deliver copies to stations nationwide, helping the single hold the top spot on the Billboard pop chart for ten weeks and become one of the decade’s defining recordings. Through Curb’s partnerships with Warner and Capitol, Ruff worked with Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams, Jr., Merle Haggard, and George Strait. He also launched the careers of Dwight Yoakam, Juice Newton, Reba McEntire, and Kathy Mattea. While running a revived Oak label, Ruff suffered congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema, passing away at his home in Saugus, California on September 15, 2005.