Ray Whitley
Raymond Otis Whitley (December 5, 1901 – February 21, 1979) was a country and western singer, songwriter, and actor, best known for writing the Western song "Back in the Saddle Again". His career in film lasted between 1936 and 1956. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Atlanta (capital city of Georgia, United States), Died February 21, 1979 (Mexico (country in North America) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1934 - 1949
Roles Represented in DAHR: guitar, vocalist, songwriter, composer, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 61 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-053015 | 10-in. | 5/24/1940 | Back in the saddle again | Kassels-in-the-Air Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-060661 | 10-in. | 2/19/1941 | You waited too long | Meredith Blake ; Gray Gordon Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-1450 | 10-in. | 7/28/1947 | I've lived a lifetime for you | Elton Britt ; Skytoppers | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | H401 | 10-in. | 8/1/1941 | Lonely river | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | H454 | 10-in. | 8/19/1941 | When you took your love away | 6-Bar Cowboys ; Ray Whitley | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, lyricist, composer | |
| Columbia | HCO455 | 10-in. | 8/19/1941 | Please don't forget me dear | 6-Bar Cowboys ; Ray Whitley | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | H456 | 10-in. | 8/19/1941 | Darlin' don't cry over me | 6-Bar Cowboys ; Ray Whitley | String band, with male vocal duet | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar | |
| Columbia | H457 | 10-in. | 8/19/1941 | How was I to know | 6-Bar Cowboys ; Ray Whitley | String band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, instrumentalist, guitar, composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | H600 | 10-in. | 12/13/1941 | I hang my head and cry | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | HCO1707 | 10-in. | 2/13/1946 | Back in the saddle again (theme song) | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | HCO1790 | 10-in. | 4/8/1946 | You laughed and I cried | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | LA1865 | 10-in. | 4/18/1939 | Back in the saddle again (Theme song) | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | HCO2886 | 10-in. | 12/5/1947 | I've lived a lifetime for you | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | HCO2892 | 10-in. | 12/6/1947 | Play fair | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | C3401 | 10-in. | 10/9/1940 | You waited too long | Bob Atcher and Bonnie Blue Eyes | String band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | CO40545 | 10-in. | 3/22/1949 | Between the lines | 101 Ranch Boys | String band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Brunswick | LA2319 | 10-in. | 8/22/1940 | You waited too long | Gene Autry | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter | |
| Decca | 39254 | 10-in. | 1/17/1935 | End of memory lane-1 | Buck Nation ; Buck Nation | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 39255 | 10-in. | 1/17/1935 | Ramshackled shack on the hill | Buck Nation ; Buck Nation | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 39262 | 10-in. | 1/18/1935 | By the old oaken bucket | Buck Nation ; Buck Nation | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 39263 | 10-in. | 1/18/1935 | Bruno Hauptmann's fate | Buck Nation ; Buck Nation | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 39273 | 10-in. | 1/22/1935 | The kidnapper's story | Buck Nation ; Buck Nation | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 39274 | 10-in. | 1/22/1935 | The ill fated narrow castle | Buck Nation ; Buck Nation | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 39275 | 10-in. | 1/23/1935 | Blue ridge mountain sweetheart | Buck Nation ; Buck Nation | instrumentalist, guitar | ||
| Decca | 39276 | 10-in. | 1/23/1935 | The church bells toll | Buck Nation ; Buck Nation | instrumentalist, guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Whitley, Ray," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/210979.
Whitley, Ray. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/210979.
"Whitley, Ray." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Whitley, Ray, 1901-1979 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88051194
Wikidata: Ray Whitley (singer-songwriter) - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7298284
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/77859144
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/240869 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/240869
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