ROCK

VAN MORRISON
Brown Eyed Girl
In The Mystic

EAGLES
Take It Easy
Peaceful Easy Feeling Already Gone
Hotel California
Desperado
Lying Eyes

STEVE EARL
Guitar Town
I Ain’t Ever Satisfied
Angel Is The Devil I Know

JOHNNY RIVERS
Memphis
Rockin’ Pneumonia
Sea Cruise
Brown Eyed Handsome Man

ROY ORBISON
Pretty Woman

ELTON JOHN
The Piano Man

GEORGIA SATELLITES
Keep Your Hands To Yourself

CREDENCE CLEARWATER
Proud Mary
Susie Q

ELVIS PRESLEY
That’s All right Mama Never Been To Spain
Teddy Bear
Jail House Rock
Love Me Tender

ERIC CLAPTON
Lay Down Sally
Willie & The Hand Jive Cocaine
Wonderful Tonight

WALLFLOWERS
6th Ave. Heartache

THE WHO
Squeeze Box

BOB SEGER
Old Time Rock & Roll Turn The Page
Against The Wind
Night Moves
Se La Vi

AMA. RHYTHM ACE
Third Rate Romance

LYNARD SKYNYRD
Gimme Three Steps
Sweet Home Alabama What’s Your Name Little Girl
Free Bird
The Breeze

STEVE MILLER
Joker
Keep On A Rockin’ Me Baby

CAT STEVENS
Wild World

ROLLING STONES
Honky Tonk Woman Jumping Jack Flash

DOCTOR HOOK
On The Cover Of The Rolling Stone

CHUCK BERRY
Johnny Be Good

BOB DYLAN
Knocking On Heavens Door Tangled Up In Blue
Rainy Day Woman #12 & #35
Everything Is Broken

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Pink Cadillac
Born In The U.S.A.

THE DRIFTERS
Under The Boardwalk

THE BEATLES
I Saw Her Standing There Twist & Shout

GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Sundown

JIM CROCE
Bad Bad Leroy Brown
You Don’t Mess Around With Jim

RUPERT HOLMES
Escape

RHYTHM & BLUES

WILSON PICKET
Mustang Sally

OTIS REDDING
Dock Of The Bay

Trop Rock

JIMMY BUFFETT
Margaritaville
Saturday Night Grapefruit
Juiceyfruit
A Pirate At Forty
Fins
Volcano
Cheeseburger In Paradise
Tin Cup Chalice
Come Monday
Defying Gravity
The Wino That I Know
Pencil Thin Mustache
Why Don’t We Get Drunk
Kick It In
Second Wind
Changes In Latitudes

EDDIE RAVEN
Joe Knows How To Live
I Got Mexico

DIRT BAND
An American Dream
Wolverton Mountain
Fish’n In The Dark

COUNTRY

BROOKS ‘N’ DUNN
Boot Scootin’
Neon Moon
My Maria
A Man This Lonely
Rock My World

VINCE GILL
Liza Jane

TRAVIS TRITT
Country Club
Here’s A Quarter

GARTH BROOKS
The Dance
If Tomorrow Never Comes
Papa Loved Mama
Friends In Low Places
Two Pina Coladas
Long Neck Bottle

BELLEMY BROTHERS
Redneck Girl
If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body
Sugar Daddy
Do You Love as Good as You Look

MARK CHESNUTT
Uptown Downtown
Too Cold At Home
I’ll Think Of Something

CLINT BLACK
Better Man

CONWAY TWITTY
I’d Love To Lay You Down
I’ve Already Loved You In My Mind

ORIGINALS

JAMESRAY
Chasing the Dream
Be Good At It
Marissa
Preserving The Wildlife
A Beautiful Woman Valentine
I Can Help You Forget
By You
Could I Live Without You Puppy Dog
Badlands
Hillbilly Go Home
Faith
When I Go Back Home Drop A Line
Fantasy Flight
Your Perfume
Day In Night Out
I Might
Gotta Go
Spanish 101
Ride the Rollin’ Thunder
I Love Having you To come Home to
It’s Making Me Old
AND many more!

ALAN JACKSON
Don’t Rock The Jukebox
Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow
Here In The Real World
It’s Five O’clock Somewhere

BUCK OWENS
I’ll Give You Love
Tiger By The Tail
Hello Trouble

RADNEY FOSTER
Just Call Me Lonesome

GEORGE STRAIT
All My Ex’s
Unwound
You Look So Good In Love
Let’s Fall To Pieces
The Chair
A Fire I Can’t Put Out
The Fireman
Ocean Front Property
Does Ft. Worth Cross Your Mind
Amarillo By Morning
The Cowboy Rides Away

MERLE HAGGARD
Working Man Blues
The Way Love Goes Ramblin’ Fever
Are The Good Times Really Over
Make-up And Faded Blue Jeans
Big City Going
Where The Lonely Go
The Rest Of My Life
Think I’ll Just Stay Here & Drink
Mama Tried
Favorite Memory
Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Star
Today I Started Loving You Tonight
The Bottle Let Me Down
Swinging Doors
Silver Wings

KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS
Walk Softly
Dumas Walker
Oh Lonesome Me

THE TRACTORS
Baby Likes To Rock It

MARTY ROBBINS
El Paso

MARTY STUART
Don’t Leave Her Lonely
Western Girls
Hillbilly Rock
Burn me Down
Country Girl

CHARLIE DANIELS
Long Haired Country Boy

DWIGHT YOKAM
Little Sister
This Time
Pocket Of A Clown
Guitars -N- Cadillacs
Long White Cadillac
Turn It On - Turn It Up
Fast As You
It Takes A Lot To Rock You
I Hear You Knocking
Honky Tonk Man
I Got You
It Only Hurts Me When I Cry
Bakersfield
Little Ways
Heartaches By The Number

JOHNNY BUSH
Wine Me Up

JOHNNY CASH
Folsum Prison Blues
Ring of Fire

ROGER MILLER
King Of The Road

GEORGE JONES
He Stopped Loving Her Today
The Race Is On

CHARLIE PRIDE
Is Anybody Going To San Antone
Kiss An Angel Good morning

HANK WILLIAMS
You Win Again
I Can’t Help It
Honky Tonk Blues
Jambalaya
Your Cheating Heart

TRACY BYRD
Watermelon Crawl
I’m From the Country
How’d I Wind Up in Jamaica
Ten Rounds with Jose
Honky-tonk Dancin’ Machine
Drinking Bone

TIM MCGRAW
Something Like That
Down on the Farm
I Like it I love it

THE MAVERICKS
Dance the Night Away
You Always Bring Me Down

BILLY RAY CYRUS
Achy Breaky Heart

KENNY ROGERS
The Gambler

KENNY CHESNEY
She Thinks my Tractor’s Sexy
Living Fast Forward
When the Sun Goes Down

TRACE ADKINS
I Left Something Turn on at Home
Honky-tonk Badonkadonk

DARYL SINGLETARY
Too Much Fun

PIRATES OF THE MISSISSIPPI
Honky-tonk Blues
TRACEY LAWRENCE
If the Good Die Young

WAYLON JENNINGS
Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line
Luckenbach
TX
Ain’t Living Long Like This

WILLIE NELSON
On The Road Again
Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies
Blue Eyes Crying
Crazy
Gotta Get Drunk

KRIS KRISTOFERSON
Help Me Make It Through The Night
Me And Bobby McGee

DAVID ALLEN COE
You Never Call Me By My Name (Perfect C&W Song)

JOHNNY PAY CHECK
Take This Job And Shove It

RAY KENNEDY
No Way Jose
All She Ever Wants Is More

DAVE DUDLY
Six Days On The Road

HANK JR.
Whiskey Bent
Family Tradition
All My Rowdy Friends
Old Habits

JamesRay is available:
Solo - either with backing tracks (for dance) or accompanying himself on guitar for more intimate occasions
Duo - adding either a fiddle / mandolin player or a keyboard player depending on style of performance required
4 piece band - the ideal band for country rock dance - Elvis, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, The Eagles and the Rolling Stones
5 piece - great for the full country experience including slide guitar and accordion along with bass and drums and steel drums
6 piece - adds violin / mandolin player to the 5 piece - ideal for a good old Hoe Down!
10 piece - for a full western swing event adding female vocalists etc.

JamesRay is happy to talk to you about which size band is going to give you the best experience for your event.

JamesRAy's musical influences are as multifarious as the inspirations of his eccentric and variant life story. This very diversity is at the pinnacle of his dynamic and passionate performances. With band, duo or solo his live performances exude a passion like no other.

JamesRAy is the 2003 Trans-Tasman Entertainer of the Year and the 2002 NZCMA Entertainer of the Year Songwriter award winner. He holds the prestigious ACMA 2002 award for Best Original Song, Best Male Vocalist and the supreme award of Best Overall Performer as well as the recipient of five top NZ Sun City Music Awards for 2003.

Since coming to New Zealand in 2000 with his Kiwi lady, JamesRAy has found a unique niche for himself as a much demanded solo artist, performing to sold out concerts with the likes of The Amazing Rhythm Aces as well as co-billing with such Kiwi icons as Hammond Gamble, Paul Ubana Jones and the Warratahs. Performing on the New Zealand national TV Ones' "The Good Morning Show" and numerous radio shows has allowed him to reach yet a greater audience.

JamesRAy's career began in the hillbilly dance halls and honky tonks of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee with his 'hard living' 1950's rock & country music playing ex-military father playing lead guitar. JamesRAy was surrounded by the croonings of Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Conway Twitty and many other great country artist of the time. Kentucky Bluegrass and Bob Will's Western Swing had it's affair with JamesRAy as well in those impressionable years.

As fate would have it, JamesRAy would have to discover the sounds of Jimmy Buffet and Dwight Yoakam taking him in a yet another direction for his own song writing and performing talents. Eventually making the big move to Nashville, JamesRAy came face to face with his own insurgent influences and the likes of Steve Earl, Jim Lauderdale, Lynard Skynyrd and Ray Kennedy.

Finally, JamesRAy got a super dose of musical persuasion when he accepted an offer to join the Bob Dylan backline crew on their world tour throughout the mid 1990's. By the late 90's JamesRAy returned to Nashville to write with gold and platinum award winning songwriters Kerry and Lynn Gillespie-Chater. Then the love of a Kiwi girl brought JamesRAy to the shores of New Zealand where he still writes and pursues the dream of being a country music star.

JamesRAy's music has been called everything from Insurgent, Americana, Alternative Country Rock to Roots and Folk. I'd say it's Acoustic Groove with all the influences of the American South. That includes most everything from Blues to Bluegrass. Whatever the listener feels comfortable calling it is fine with me.
" I just have to play what I feel. So, I guess I'd have to say I feel Country music the best. "

Look what talent buyers & promoters are saying about JamesRAy:

Hi JamesRAy.
Thank you for your fantastic performance last night 24th March 2007 , everyone said how fantastic the music was and the music you played was spot on for the group we had @ Bracs Restaurant. We hope to have you at the restaurant again in the near future.

Thank you
- From The Team and Management at Bracs Restaurant

Howdy JamesRAy,,
What a fantastic show for my 60th. You had the songs for us oldies and friends have called to say they have not enjoyed such a great evening for ages. I applaud your humour and showmanship. Very entertaining. Two have said they are still singing "she thinks my tractor's sexy". Others are keen to call in at the Africa Bar. Thanks so much for a wonderful evening.
Happy Trails,
Karen

Hi JamesRAy,
Thank you so much for Saturday - you were a real hit. Everyone was so complimentary of your performance and without question, you set the tone for a marvelous day. It was a great thrill for John and at the end of the day that's what it was all about. Once again, on behalf of Kerin and myself, many thanks.
Regards
Peter

JamesRAy,
A BIG thank you from Denis and I for making his party such an awesome success, what a night! You were just brilliant - 120 people and each and everyone of them thought the music was just fantastic. So many have phoned me to say what a brilliant night and can we do it all again soon! Having live entertainment in your own home was just amazing, kind of spoils you for future parties though - who can go back to playing cds after that!
What can I say but, "Anyone wanting to have a country party that just rocks, don’t go past JamesRAy!!!!!!!!!"
Bawden Family 

If you are reading this it is because you are considering hiring the services of JamesRAy. Do So!
“As an event manager for the previous 15 years I have contracted many performers and acts to provide entertainment over that time. JamesRAy’s talent, performance, professionalism and friendly easy-going manner have ranked him with the preferred choices on that list. JamesRAy was amazing. Aside from providing a great musical performance, he showed his skill in reading the crowd and choosing songs that were exactly right to get the guests up and enjoying themselves.”
“I would use JamesRAy’s services without hesitation in the future, and can recommend him to anyone who is looking for musical entertainment that is hassle free and of an extremely high standard.”
- Lisa Grace, Event Manager

"His fresh approach to acoustic country rock and his brilliant song-writing ability lead me to think that it won't be long before he is a household name in this country.”
-D. Edwards of Rock it Promotions.

“JamesRAy is not only an accomplished song writer but also a very proficient guitarist and player of the harmonica. He is an excellent performer and is very genuine in the delivery of his material. He has displayed a high degree of professionalism in all aspect of his trade and has been a pleasure to work with. James has performed at the Mussel Inn and we have no hesitation in booking him to perform every chance we get.”
- Andrew Dixon

“JamesRAy consistently gets high numbers through the door on the nights he is performing for our club. We particularly appreciate the fact that JamesRAy takes the time to participate in not just providing the appropriate music for our rock ‘n rollers and line dancers, but also in announcing raffle draws, and the usual club notices, PR, etc. He is a great all-round entertainer.”
-Anne Blackburn, Stetson Club President

“I can highly recommend JamesRAy and his talents to any interested party. JamesRAy has and continues to establish himself as a professional song writer and entertainer as evident with his numerous awards. If you would like to discuss his potential for years of vibrancy and marketability further please do not hesitate to contact me.”
-Gray Bartlett - New Zealand Entertainment Academy

The Variety Artists of New Zealand has awarded JamesRAy with the coveted Top Male Artist Award for 2011

The Oscars of Country Music awards JamesRAy with Country Music Male Artist of the Year

The most prestigious event on the country music calendar: the National Country Music Awards

(HIBISCUS COAST) – 15 August 2011 – The National Country Music Awards has named Hibiscus Coast resident, JamesRAy, the 2011 Male Artist of the Year.

JamesRAy is the 2003 Trans-Tasman Entertainer of the Year and the 2002 NZCMA Entertainer of the Year Songwriter award winner. He holds the prestigious ACMA 2002 award for Best Original Song, Best Male Vocalist and the supreme award of Best Overall Performer as well as the recipient of five top NZ Sun City Music Awards for 2003

· His latest Album, "Chasing the Dream" was a New Zealand Music Tui Grand Finalist in both the 'Best Country Album' and 'Best Country Song'.

· Sony Records has included JamesRAy on "NZ's Best Country Songs" compilation CD along with Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn and many other great kiwi artists.

Hi Pete,
No it wasn't satisfactory- it was fabulous. James and Nick are very talented and professional. Everyone had a wonderful time.
Thank you.
Best wishes,
Helen 
60th Birthday Nashville Themed

Yeah very good thank you.
Kris
Funeral

Hi Robyn
Just a short note to thank you for organising the James Ray Band and the line dancers for Saturday night.
The line dancers were great but the band really made the party awesome! The guys were fantastic - talented, professional and fun. They brought the whole night together in a really special way.
Many thanks
Amanda
Lexel Systems Ltd

 Hi Pete
James Ray was fantastic in fact he was absolutely loved by everyone there.   We couldn’t have been luckier at 5pm they were packing up and then it started With a light drizzle then within 5 mins of having finished loading the heavens opened up.  He is such a neat guy he even gave me and Chris a CD as a gift So tell him we played it nearly all day Sunday.
Feedback……………Most definitely recommend him to anyone.
Thanks for everything
Iwi & Chris

James RAy was simply fabulous! He's the best performer we have had at our Annual Mangawhai Wine + Food Festival for getting the crowd up and moving and jiving and just having a fun time. (Not too mention he's super cute too!). I would recommend James RAy without hesitation - top class act in all aspects.
Kristine Robertson
Mangawhai Walking Weekend

Hi James
Amazing night – Thank you very much.
Sarah Southcombe
travel Managers Group 

Hi Pete,
I am sorry I haven’t been in contact to thank you and JamesRay.
I flew to the UK after the Xmas party and have only been able to access emails this week.
We had a great night and the feedback was very positive on the band and the overall theme of the event. James Ray was professional and knew how to read the crowd and I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a country themed event.
You have also been very helpful, so thank you for your time in helping organise a successful event for us.
Thanks
Charlotte Bracey-Wright
Kimberley Clark NZ

Hi James
Thanks for a great concert; we’ve had some really good feedback from customers who loved it.
1) I found you through the Pete McGregor website
2) Pete’s recommendation and your website were impressive
3) I wanted to put on a country night and there were very few artists in the south island that fitted the bill. Your fees were fairly reasonable too. I really wanted a country band but just couldn’t afford it
4) Your strengths lie in your personality. You have a very friendly and warm attitude to your audience. It’s good to tell people about your family back home and the stories are excellent as it connects people to you and they can relate to your experiences. Take care and we’ll maybe see you again next year.
Cheers
Rob
The Playhouse Theatre Nelson

Hi Kellie
Thought I would drop you a line re feedback for your client James Ray:
What a fantastic night we all had, James Ray (Duo) was absolutely
awesome and so many people commented
how fabulous the music was, what a great act. We had about 120 people and I don't think there was one person there who did not enjoy the music.
James was truly amazing, such an easy going guy, he chatted away to all and sundry like "the guy next door". Kind of spoils you for the next party though,how on earth can one go back to just having cds and the like playing when you experience live entertainment in your own home.
It was worth every penny!
Many thanks for your recommendation, anyone wanting a great country night - don't go past James Ray!
Cheers!
Debbie Dickens

Hi Pete,
Sorry about it being so long for me to respond. James Ray was great as usual. Lovely guy and great music – lots of comments about the music so I think everyone enjoyed the night. Thank you.
Jill Tong