Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Ray.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been singing around the house since I was eight or nine. I come from a musical family (my dad, Ray Griffin, is a twice Grammy nominated bass player with hits like “Ring my Bell”, “Down Home Blues”, “Taxi,” “Disco Duck,” among others. My uncle, Donald Brown, is a jazz pianist who has played with Wynton Marsalis, Art Blakey, Mulgrew Miller, and Kenny Garrett to name a few.) so we listened to a lot of different types of music at home and I grew up listening to it and growing an appreciation for music. When I was young I was in a church choir called “Angels of Praise”, and that’s where I learned my discipline. In the beginning, I didn’t even think of talent. I just knew I liked singing and music. I liked seeing people perform…. Looking back on it, it probably was an outlet for me because it allowed me to be something other than what I was at the time. I was able to sing all these other artists and enter into this fairytale world.
As a teen, I performed with groups, and then in college I was on my own and won the local Star Search. After that, I was in different talent shows and things until I made my own album. A few accomplishments of note include winning BET’s Wild Out Wednesdays, appearing on and winning Blaze the Stage in New York, singing duets with Aaron Neville, opening for Dru Hill, and producing my songs “Fingertips” and “Rome” with Grammy Award-winning producer Blac Elvis.
I graduated from University of Memphis with degrees in Journalism and a masters in Music Performance, and am currently pursuing an additional degree there in Music Business. In between my musical contributions and school, I also choreograph and am a vocal instructor for Stax Music Academy. I love working with students to help them accomplish their potential and pour into the next generation of creatives.
In 2017, I was signed to Made in Memphis Entertainment and released seven recordings, including a Spanish record. Since, I have chosen to go independent. Something that has brought me a lot of joy and passion is establishing a live concert entitled “RAW” (Real Artist Working) which was birthed in 2020 in order to give musicians and local creatives an income during the pandemic. The 2020 show was a virtual live recording concert, and in 2021 was turned into a live performance. We plan to continue RAW in 2022 with another Memphis live performance in October.
I’ve got a lot of things I’m balancing right now, but the biggest thing is working hard to continue my father’s musical legacy and exploring new things in my music. I’m always finding new and innovative ways to push myself, while staying true to who I am.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have definitely been days where I’m like, “Why am I still doing this, like, what am I doing? You’re not making any money doing this.” But every time I even have a notion of doing something else, it’s an unexplainable love that I don’t even think I’ve given to anything else. Every time I step on the stage, it really heals me. I don’t think I could live without it. Yeah, it’s hard. It definitely hasn’t been an easy road. But as I go through different challenges and grow, my sound and music grows too. With the right guidance, it can be positive.
I’ve gone through bad business deals, financial difficulties, and of course – being an independent artist isn’t cheap. I’ve learned the hard way what not to do. And most of all, it’s me trying my best to stay true to who I am in my music as well as in the world of social media.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I consider myself a full creative. While singing and dancing are my main talents, I am now choreographing, video editing, and much more. Being an independent artist can definitely be a hard route but it has allowed me to really hone in on other creative skills that I had to tap into.
One of those that I’m really proud of is creative directing. I have fallen in love with this art. I am now doing some creative directing for the Stax Music Academy Black History Month project and it has been a complete blast. I pride myself on continually learning but also being willing to pass on that knowledge, I want to be able to uplift the next generation and local artists.
Some of the things I wish I had learned I want to teach the younger creatives, which is what has driven me to work harder. I’m also passionate about helping young musicians with developing their knowledge on business dealings, mental health, budgeting, and the ins and outs of being an artist, and I hope to build an environment that I can help with that. Putting on the RAW shows are growing every year, and I’m excited to see how those can continue to expand to include more artists and creatives and showcase all Memphis has to offer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Honestly, luck hasn’t played a role in all. I am a firm believer that God has a plan for me. So good or bad he knows what he is doing and as long as I keep working hard I have to trust that he knows best.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.iamjessicaray.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaRay
Image Credits
Clyde “M.A.D.E. BY GLYDE.” Sims Brandon, “Bnodd” Mccoy, and Annie Mackey
