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Don Raye

Don Raye (born Donald MacRae Wilhoite Jr., March 16, 1909 – January 29, 1985) was an American songwriter, best known for his songs for The Andrews Sisters such as "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", "The House of Blue Lights", "Just for a Thrill" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." The latter was co-written with Hughie Prince.

While known for such wordy novelty numbers, he also wrote the lyrics to "You Don't Know What Love Is," a simple, poetic lament of unusual power. He also composed the song "(That Place) Down the Road a Piece," one of his boogie woogie songs, which has a medium bright boogie tempo. It was written for the Will Bradley Orchestra, who recorded it in 1940, but the song was destined to become a rock and roll standard, recorded by The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Foghat, Amos Milburn, Harry Gibson, and countless others. In 1940, he wrote the lyrics for the patriotic song "This Is My Country".

In 1985, Don Raye was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 16, 1909 (Washington, D.C.), Died January 29, 1985

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1951

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 55 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor PBS-061630 10-in. 9/11/1941 You were there Bob Carroll ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor PBS-061712 10-in. 10/5/1941 I'll remember April Bob Carroll ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-062791 10-in. 3/31/1941 Music makers Marilyn Duke ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-063841 10-in. 5/2/1941 Music makers Four King Sisters ; Alvino Rey ; Rhythm Reys Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor BS-067759 10-in. 9/8/1941 Watch the birdie Harriet Clark ; Sonny Dunham Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-068371 10-in. 11/27/1941 You dont know what love is Jan Savitt ; Top Hatters Jazz/dance band, with vocal songwriter  
Victor BS-068379 10-in. 12/1/1941 Pig foot Pete Dawn Patrol Boys ; Dolly Dawn Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-068400 10-in. 11/17/1941 The boy with the wistful eyes Earl Hines Orchestra ; Madeline Green ; Earl Hines ; Three Varieties Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal trio songwriter  
Victor BS-068403 10-in. 11/17/1941 You don't know what love is Earl Hines Orchestra ; Billy Eckstine Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-068442 10-in. 11/28/1941 The boy with the wistful eyes Mitchell Ayres ; Meredith Blake ; Fashions-in-Music Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor PBS-072560 10-in. 7/30/1942 (Nobody knows better than I) He's my guy Dinah Shore ; Paul Wetstein Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-074717 10-in. 6/30/1942 (Nobody knows better than I) He's my guy Bob Chester Orchestra ; Betty Bradley Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-075401 10-in. 7/1/1942 He's my guy (Nobody knows better than I) Jo Stafford ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor D9VB-715 10-in. 8/19/1949 Cuddled in your arms Fran Warren Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor E1VB-0055 10-in. 1/9/1951 I love you too much Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra ; Fran Warren Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor E1VB-1786 10-in. 4/16/1951 Sidewalk shuffle Steve Gibson ; Original Red Caps (Steve Gibson) Male vocal quartet, with instrumental quintet songwriter  
Victor D4AB-0069 10-in. 3/22/1944 Milkman, keep those bottles quiet Four King Sisters Female vocal quartet, with male vocal solo and songwriter  
Victor D5VB-1149 10-in. 11/12/1945 I'm not having any (this year) Russ Case Orchestra ; David Street Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor D7VB-1082 10-in. 10/16/1947 A song was born Louis Armstrong ; Louis Armstrong All-Stars ; Jack Teagarden Male vocal duet, with jazz sextet songwriter  
Victor D7VB-1808 10-in. 10/22/1947 Daddy-o (I'm gonna teach you some blues) Lillian Lane ; Page Cavanaugh Trio Female vocal solo, with male vocal trio, guitar, bass, and piano songwriter  
Victor D7VB-2126 10-in. 11/26/1947 It's watcha do with watcha got Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Glenn Hughes ; Martin Men Male vocal solo, with male vocal group and instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor D7VB-2169 10-in. 12/8/1947 Your red wagon Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor D7VB-2594 10-in. 12/5/1947 Love that boy! Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra Female vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor D8VB-3740 10-in. 5/11/1948 Judaline Stuart Foster ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Dub from film: Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Decca 67615 10-in. 4/23/1940 Hit the road Vic Schoen Orchestra vocalist  
(Results 26-50 of 55 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Raye, Don," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090.

Raye, Don. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090.

"Raye, Don." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090

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