Singing is much better than baking attests Ray Lynam!

For decades Ray Lynam has been regarded by music critics, and cynics of Country music alike, as the crème de la crème of Country singers in Ireland. However, he could just as easily have ended up baking cream cakes!

Chatting with The Tuam Herald Ray tells why he opted to become a singer rather than a baker of buns and cakes in his parent’s family bakery in Moate.

“I have no regrets changing career options when I was young, as it’s tougher work making bread than singing. But, of course, I often gave a dig out in the family bakery, and they were lovely times too.

“It all changed when the big plants came in baking bread on a mass scale and that literally wiped out the small bakeries. So, it was good that I opted for music,” he laughed.

His first interest in music was in playing the piano but he didn’t pursue that and instead took up playing a saxophone in a local band called The Merrymen.

“That was a type of school band really and then in late 1969 my friend from that band Kevin Sheerin started The Hillbillies. We also did a few nights playing together with Ciaran Kelly’s Ceili Band and Billy Burgoyne was the drummer there as he was later in The Hillbillies.

“In The Merrymen, we were into The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and all of that carry on! But it was Kevin Sheerin that introduced me to Country.

“He worked in Bord na Mona (Irish Turf Board) and as he rose very early in the morning, he would record the Country programmes off the AFN (American Forces Network) radio. I heard that sort of music first, through Kevin, I absolutely fell in love with the genre,” says Ray.

While many connoisseurs of good Country music this side of the Atlantic often associate Ray’s singing style with that of George Jones, Ray says that it was the songs of Buck Owens he started singing first.

“It was easier to get Buck Owens records over here at the time and so we did more of Buck Owens covers. But once I discovered George’s songs, he also became a big influence,” added Ray.

The Hillbillies started rehearsing together from September 1969, but dates were scarce.

“But as we only did two carnival dances that year, the lads, who had all moved to my hometown of Moate, couldn’t even make enough to pay the rent! Then the late Larry Cunningham offered us the job of backing him but while it was attractive, we decided to stay on our own.”

However, meeting Larry was still a seminal moment for Ray and The Hillbillies as Larry’s manager Mick Clerkin, the boss of Release Records, liked them too and got one of his colleagues, Sean Reilly, to manage Ray and the band in 1970.

“The band took off from there really as the hits started to happen for us such as Gypsy Jo and Me, Brand New Mr Me, The Door is Always Open, Second Hand Flowers, and many more,” he mused.

Ray was also teamed up for duets with The Queen of Country Music, Philomena Begley and they reached the pinnacle of both their careers appearing at The Wembley Country Festival many times and on The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

The collaboration resulted in a plethora of hit duet singles and albums in the 70s, and their Top 3 hit My Elusive Dreams even got a mention in the Shane MacGowan 1985 UK hit A Pair of Brown Eyes.

“We had great success back then and frequently did concerts together. In recent times we do mini tours together again, she is still great fun to work with and as bubbly as ever,” he laughed.

Ray’s most iconic record of all is the Eagles-style Country-Rock song I Don’t Want to See Another Town penned by Kevin Sheerin.

“Kevin’s inspiration for the song came because we often didn’t want to see another town when touring incessantly in the 70s. We did 16 nights in a row at one stage, and nobody wanted to see another town after that,” roared Ray.

“Kevin wrote it with a Folky feel but John Ryan suggested we make it more a big ballad. Kevin arrived with just two verses but as we needed one more he went home and came back with the extra verse. The guitar solo by session man Jimmy Smith (singer Gloria’s young brother) at the end was sensational,” says Ray.

After many years together The Hillbillies parted company and some of them went off to become Daniel O’Donnell’s band for decades. Ray did solo work then and made some Rock-infused records with Paul Cleary of The Blades and Billy Browne of The Freshmen while also playing at the Country-Rock venue known as Bad Bobs in Dublin during the 80s.

He was a session guitarist on many of Daniel’s albums and even produced an album for Aon Focal Eile comedy singer Richie Kavanagh.

Nowadays, Ray is happy doing guest spots on concerts with the younger Country singers as well as with Philomena Begley.

But could he be enticed back into the recording studios again?

“I don’t think so as I’ve probably done it all. The highlights were the Wembley Festivals and recording in Nashville plus joining Larry Cunningham and Brian Coll on the International Show there. I also appeared with The Wilburn Brothers on the Grand Ole Opry and on their US TV Show.

“Right now, I’m content doing guest spots early on at Country concerts with others, and then packing up my guitar and going home early too which is a big bonus,” concluded Ray with a laugh.