Welcome to Ray Richardson's Canadian Ink Spots (trademarked)

<body> <table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td width="100%"></td> </tr> </table> <p>ray richardson's canadian ink spots trademarked, 1954, charlie fuqua, deek watson, the ink spots bill kenny, hit recordings u.s.a. "it is no secret" song spinners "that's just my way of forgetting you ", lorenzo conyers ink spots first tenor lead, 1961 ray richardson began working with charlie fuqua's (one of the original ink spots). 1960, lorenzo, ray bernie mackey, guitarist with the ink spots, 1965 lorenzo began performing ray richardson's ink spots, quartet, quintet, sixtet talented accomplished musicians, thirty-one year working relationship, ray richardson, lorenzo conyers, ricky day (second tenor/keyboards), kirby (chop) small (alto and guitar), traditional songs, contemporary music audiences, ray richardson, baritone-narrator-leader) entertainment act, mount holly, new jersey, ray studied music appreciation, song writing, piano, performed rhythm and blues groups the embers (from 1954 to 1957) popular group, the drifters, ray guest appearances the mike douglas show, radio legend alan freed's program, duke ellington orchestra, mercer ellington, entertainment shows, canadian ink spots show rhythm section professional musician-entertainers, keith dindayal (bass-musical director) trinidad, caribbean, 1974, liberty silver, jimmy ray, dockey roberts, odyssey, musical director, arranger famous singing group, the platters, ervin payne (second tenor-guitar) born in winston, salem, north carolina, salem state university major music, member of hell & high water, tours, united states of america, canada, asia, incredible ink spots band members, cincinnati, ohio, california, performer-entertainer, singer, nbc's arthur godfrey show, trumpet, big jazz bands, stints with buddy rich, woody herman, stan kenton, 1963 toured russia king of swing, benny goodman, the platters, the drifters, jazz legends, nancy wilson, ella fitzgerald, peggy lee, ron eller, drummer, 1949, toured southern united states, vietnam entertaining troops in 1969-1970, 1970, europe tours, university big band, mary wells, ramsey lewis, cecil, womack, great jazz drummer danny richmond, jimmy mills (lead singer), ray richardson's canadian ink spots, trademarked, tel: 905-309-1593, fax: 905-309-1753, e-mail rayr@primus.ca, 2001 performances, 2002 performance calendar, schedules, places performances, performed, weddings, barmitsvahs, batvitsvahs, fairs, corporate events, exhibitions, cne, private parties, private audiences, festivals, night clubs, casinos, special events, booking the ink spots, a.f.b. base portage la prairie, manitoba, airliner motel, winnipeg, manitoba, albert hotel, cochoran, ontario, alberta juniper lodge, lacombe, alberta, assiniboia hotel, assiniboia, saskatchewan bessborough hotel, saskatoon, saskatchewan, brampton inn, brampton, ontario, canadian inn, kamloops, british columbia, canadian legion, fort saskatchewan, alberta, canadian national exhibition, toronto, ontario, centennial legion, calgary, alberta, clearbrook country club, sauga tuck, michigan, club continental, hamilton, ontario colonial, helena, montana, cranbrook motor hotel, cranbrook, british columbia, douglas house, houghton, michigan, elks lodge, red deer, alberta, fireside inn, manistique, michigan, graham bell hotel, rantford, ontario, harbour castle waterfront, toronto, ontario, hillcrest, hamilton, ontario, holiday inn, chillicothe, ohio, holiday inn, finley, ohio, holiday inn, marquette, michigan, holiday inn, mt. pleasant, michigan, holiday inn, traverse city, michigan, holiday inn, van wert, ohio, horseshoe lodge, golden, british columbia, international inn, winnipeg, manitoba, international inn, winnipeg, manitoba, jane mallett theatre, toronto, ontario, mcphillips station casino, winnipeg, manitoba, minot a.f.b., minot, north dakota, montgomery legion, edmonton, alberta, outlaw inn, kalispell, montana p.a.n.s. club, dartmouth, nova scotia, park plaza motel, lethbridge, alberta, port mansion theatre, st. catherine's, ontario, regent casino, regina saskatchewan, regent casino, regina, saskatchewan, romas, calgary, alberta, roselawn theatre, port colbourne, ontario sampsons, fargo, north dekota, sand & sage hotel, ashcroft, british columbia, sheraton connaught, hamilton, ontario, sheraton motor inn, battlecreek, michigan, shoppenagons, grayling, michigan, silver dollar casino, calgary, alberta, stage west theatre, toronto, ontario, strathcona legion, edmonton, alberta, the inn, prince george, british columbia, the living room, cincinnati, ohio, the living room, cincinnati, ohio, tommy henrick steak house, columbus, ohio, toronto colony hotel, toronto, ontario, town & country, warren, ohio, voyager motel, north bay, ontario, press reviews, this is a lovely way to spend an evening, paper doll, to each his own, route 66, it's a sin to tell a lie, up a lazy river, don't want to set the world on fire, saturday night fish fry, twilight time, smoke gets in your eyes, down by the riverside, if i didn't care, white cliffs of dover, i'll never smile again, we three, sweet georgia brown, with my eyes wide open, do i worry, java jive, cabdriver, whispering grass, the gypsy, marie, the dawn is breaking, jamaica farewell, maybe (you think of me), shanty town, bless you (for being an angel), we three (my echo, my shadow and me), route 66 (get your kicks on, paper doll, if i didn't care, tie a yellow ribbon (round the old oak tree), let it be me, elvira, i'll never smile again, lazy river, my prayer (is to linger with you), a man, we'll meet again, if i did't care, the way we were, i just called to say i love you, maybe (you think of me), you always hurt the one you love, i'll be seeing you, i don't want to set the world on fire, you were always on my mind, please don't talk about me when i'm gone, love story, smoke gets in your eyes, we'll meet again, purchase compact disks and cassette tapes, volume 1, volume 2, volume 3, volume 4, original ink spots, jerry daniels (lead tenor/guitar), orville (hoppy) jones (bass), charlie fuqua (baritone/guitar) and ivory (deek) watson (second tenor), jive tunes "hot", strong jazz and blues elements like " stompin at the savoy ". style england the mid-1930's, ink spots redac productions,</p> <table border="1" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"> <tr> <td width="100%"><p align="center"><strong><font face="Georgia">A HISTORY OF the INK SPOTS</font></strong></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7"> <tr> <td width="100%">Among the best and most enduring music of this century are the popular songs of the 1930's, '40's and '50's. Every history of popular music pays homage to one of the most celebrated vocal ensembles in Western music. The Ink Spots " were the most popular and influential black vocal group in show business in the thirties and forties " according to The Faber Companion to Twentieth-Century Popular Music.<p>The Ink Spots during their prime recording period (1939 to 1951) had 50 hit records with 11 of their songs reaching the Top Ten between 1940 and 1949. They were awarded a Grammy in 1988 for their signature tune, " If I Didn't Care ", which has sold more than 19 million copies. In 1989 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.</p> <p>When they started singing together in the early 1930's, they were working as porters at the Paramount Theatre in new York City. At first they called themselves King Jack and the Jesters, but when the Paul Whiteman Orchestra introduced a vocal group with a similar name, a new title was necessary. However, finding a suitable name was not easy and the four vocalists and their manager agonized for hours. The manager had been doodling with his pen, which eventually went dry. He shook it, producing four ink blots on the page - the stuff of legend.</p> <p>The original foursome consisted of Jerry Daniels (lead tenor/guitar), Orville (Hoppy) Jones (bass), Charlie Fuqua (baritone/guitar) and Ivory (Deek) Watson (second tenor). At first, the style was jive and the tunes "hot", with a strong jazz and blues elements like " Stompin At The Savoy ". This was the style that they took to England in the mid-1930's.</p> <p>By the end of their 1936 tour, Daniels was sick and was replaced by Bill Kenny (1915-1978), who changed their style, slowing the tempos of most of their songs. Kenny had a remarkable falsetto and bassman Hoppy Jones included a spoken chorus in the middle of each song. This combination, which became their signature, made the Ink Spots' sound distinguishable from that of all other groups of this period and led to their first hit recordings on the Decca label, " If I Didn't Care " and " My Prayer ", both in 1939. In 1940 they added two more hits, " Whispering Grass ", and " Don't Worry ".</p> <p>Their music was so enormously popular that a recording made with Ella Fitzgerald in 1944 of " In Each Life Some Rain Must Fall " and  " I'm Making Believe " was not only a two-sided hit, but their first million-seller as well. This was one of several collaborations with Ella Fitzgerald. The second and third million-sellers for the Ink Spots were " The Gypsy " and " To Each His Own ", both which were number 1 on the charts in 1946.</p> <p>The influence of the Ink Spots on the history of popular music is notable. The music industry was, to a large degree, racially segregated until the 1930's and even then, black musicians usually performed and recorded for black audiences. There were a few performers during the 1930's and '40's, such as The Mills Brothers, Louis Jordan and The Ink Spots, who recorded "crossovers", popular music intended for one audience (black) and bought by another (white). It was the change in the style of their music to show ballads that made it attractive to white audiences. The Ink Spot's style found its inspiration in the jubilee gospel songs and, in turn, inspired the early rhythm and blues bands and the "doo-wop" groups like the Ravens and the Orioles.</p> <p>When the Ink Spots began recording in the mid-1930's, the Depression had made phonograph records too expensive for most people. The new, less expensive  labels - Decca, Bluebird, and the American Record Company's Challenger, Melotone, Banner and perfect labels - easily found a market when they were introduced.</p> <p>Many black musicians found "color-blind" radio more accessible than the segregated recording industry, and The Ink Spots performed on hundreds of live and recorded broadcasts. There were also appearances in Hollywood films, including What A Business (1934), The Great American Broadcast and an Abbott and Costello film, Pardon My Sarong (1942).</p> <p>Hoppy Jones died in 1944, and by 1946, the group consisted of Bill Kenny and his twin brother, Herb, Charlie Fuqua and Deek Watson. It was not a happy reunion and they eventually went their separate ways, forming new groups.</p> <p>By 1954, Charlie Fuqua and Deek Watson had each formed their group called The Ink Spots and Bill Kenny was working solo as "Mr. Ink Spot." Kenny's hit recordings in the U.S. include "It Is No Secret"<br> with the Song Spinners and " That's Just My Way of Forgetting You ". It was in 1954 that Lorenzo Conyers joined Deek Watson's Ink Spots as first tenor (lead). Ray Richardson began working with Charlie Fuqua's Ink Spots in 1961. A decade later, Ray became the leader of  this group.</p> <p>In 1960, Lorenzo was introduced to Ray by Bernie Mackey, who had been a guitarist with The Ink Spots and in 1965 Lorenzo began performing with Ray Richardson's Ink Spots.</p> <p>Ray Richardson's Ink Spots are a quartet of exceptionally talented and accomplished musicians. Continuing their thirty-one year working relationship, Ray Richardson and Lorenzo Conyers are joined by Ricky Day (second tenor/keyboards) and Kirby (Chop) Small (alto and guitar). The original style and famous tradition come with Ray and Lorenzo to the Ink Spots, but the songs also have a fresh, contemporary feel that will thrill their audiences once more.   </td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellSpacing="3" width="756"> <tbody> <tr> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="159"><p align="left"><a name="Volume 1 Contents:"><u>Volume 1 Contents</u>:</a><br> <font face="Gill Sans MT"><small><small>1. THIS IS A LOVELY WAY TO SPEND AN EVENING</small></small><br> <small>2. <small>PAPER DOLL</small><br> <small>3. TO EACH HIS OWN</small><br> <small>4. ROUTE 66</small><br> <small>5. IT'S A SIN TO TELL A LIE</small><br> <small>6. UP A LAZY RIVER</small><br> <small>7. 1 DON'T WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE</small><br> <small>8. SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY</small><br> <small>9. TWILIGHT TIME</small><br> <small>10. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES</small><br> <small>11. DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE</small><br> <small>12. IF I DIDN'T CARE</small><br> <small>13. WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER</small></small></font></td> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="166"><p align="center"><u>Writers:</u><br> <font face="Xerox Sans Serif Narrow"><small>Harold Adamson</small><br> <small>Johnny Black</small><br> <small>Jay Livingston</small><br> <small>Van Heusen</small><br> <small>Billy Mayhew</small><br> <small>Hoagy Carmichael</small><br> <small>Benny Benjamin</small><br> <small>Louis Jordan</small><br> <small>Buck Ram</small><br> <small>Jerome Kern</small><br> <small>Traditional</small><br> <small>Jack Lawrence</small><br> <small>Nat Burton</small></font></td> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="164"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" cellSpacing="3" width="757"> <tbody> <tr> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="160"><p align="left"><a name="Volume 2 Contents:"><u>Volume 2 Contents</u>:</a><br> <font face="Gill Sans MT"><small><small>1. I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN</small><br> <small>2. WE THREE</small><br> <small>3. SWEET GEORGIA BROWN</small><br> <small>4. WITH MY EYES WIDE OPEN</small><br> <small>5. DO I WORRY</small><br> <small>6. JAVA JIVE</small></small><br> <small><small>7. CABDRIVER</small></small><br> <small><small>8. WHISPERING GRASS</small></small><br> <small><small>9. THE GYPSY</small></small><br> <small><small>10. MARIE (The Dawn Is Breaking)</small></small><br> <small><small>11. JAMAICA FAREWELL</small></small><br> <small><small>12. MAYBE (You Think of Me)</small></small><br> <small><small>13. SHANTY TOWN</small></small><br> <small><small>14. BLESS YOU (For Being An Angel)</small></small></font></td> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="164"><p align="center"><u>Writers:</u><font face="Xerox Sans Serif Narrow"><br> <small>Ruth Lowe</small><br> <small>Dick Robertson, Nelson Gogone and Sammy Mysels 1940</small><br> <small>Jack Lawrence</small><br> <small>Nelson Cogne, Sammy Mysels, Dick Robertson</small><br> <small>Ben Bernie, Marco Pinkard, Kenneth Casey</small><br> <small>Mark Gordon, Harry Revel</small><br> <small>Stanley Cowan, Bobby Worth</small><br> <small>Milton Drake, Ben Oakland</small><br> <small>Carson Parks</small><br> <small>Fred Fisher, Doris Fisher</small><br> <small>Billy Reid</small><br> <small>Irvin Berlin</small><br> <small>Lord Burgess</small><br> <small>Ira Gershwin, Goerge Gershwin 1926</small><br> <small>Joe Young, Little Jack Little, John Siras</small><br> <small>Edward Lane, Don Baker</small></font></td> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="166"><font face="Xerox Sans Serif Narrow"><small><p align="center"></small></font><u><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> </u></p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><u><br> <br> <br> </u></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" cellSpacing="3" width="758"> <tbody> <tr> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="156"><a name="Volume 3 Contents:"><u>Volume 3 Contents</u>:</a><br> <font face="Gill Sans MT"><small><small>1. WE THREE (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)</small></small><br> <small><small>2. ROUTE 66 (Get Your Kicks On)</small></small><br> <small><small>3. PAPER DOLL</small></small> <br> <small><small>4. IF I DIDN'T CARE</small></small><br> <small><small>5. TIE A YELLOW RIBBON (Round The Old Oak Tree)</small></small><br> <small><small>6. LET IT BE ME</small></small><br> <small><small>7. ELVIRA</small></small><br> <small><small>8. I'LL NEVER SMILE AGAIN</small></small><br> <small><small>9. LAZY RIVER</small></small><br> <small><small>10. MY PRAYER (Is To Linger With You)</small></small><br> <small><small>11.  A MAN</small></small><br> <small><small>12. WE'LL MEET AGAIN</small></small></font></td> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="160"><p align="center"><u>Writers:</u><font face="Xerox Sans Serif Narrow"><br> <small>Dick Robertson, Nelson Gogone and Sammy Mysels 1940</small><br> <small>Bobby Troup 1946</small><br> <small>Johnny S. Black</small> <small>1942</small><br> <small>Jack Lawrence</small> <small>1939</small><br> <small>Levine & Braw 1973</small><br> <small>Becaud-De Lanoe - Curtis 1957</small><br> <small>Dallas Frazier 1972</small><br> <small>Ruth Lowe 1939</small><br> <small>Sidney Arodin-Hoagy Carmichael 1931</small><br> <small>Jimmy Kennedy 1939 Revised 1956</small><br> <small>F. Elab, S. Ulrich and C. Ulrich 1959</small><br> <small>Ross Parker and Hughie Charles 1939</small></font></td> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="167"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" cellSpacing="3" width="759"> <tbody> <tr> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,0,0) solid; BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="158"><a name="Volume 4 Contents:"><u>Volume 4 Contents</u>:</a><br> <font face="Gill Sans MT"><small><small>1. IF I DID'T CARE</small></small><br> <small><small>2. THE WAY WE WERE</small></small><br> <small><small>3. I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU</small></small><br> <small><small>4. MAYBE (You Think of Me)</small></small><br> <small><small>5. YOU ALWAYS HURT THE ONE YOU LOVE</small></small><br> <small><small>6. I'LL BE SEEING YOU</small></small><br> <small><small>7</small></small>.<small><small> I DON'T WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE</small></small><br> <small><small>8. YOU WERE ALWAYS ON MY MIND</small></small><br> <small><small>9. PLEASE DON'T TALK ABOUT ME WHEN I'M GONE</small></small><br> <small><small>10. LOVE STORY</small></small><br> <small><small>11. SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES</small></small><br> <small><small>12. WE'LL MEET AGAIN</small></small></font></td> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,0,0) solid; BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="157"><p align="center"><u>Writers:</u><font face="Xerox Sans Serif Narrow"><br> <small>Jack Lawrence</small> <small>1939</small><br> <small>Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Bergman, Marlilyn Bergman 1974<br> Stevie Wonder</small> <small>1984</small><br> <small>Ira Gerschwin</small>,<small> George</small> <small>Gerschwin 1926<br> Doris Fisher, Allan Roberts</small> <small>1944</small><br> <small>Irvin Kahal, Samy Fain 1938</small><br> <small>Eddie Seiler, Sal Marios, Benny Benjamin,Eddie Durham 1941<br> Johnny</small> <small>Christopher, Wayne Thompson, Mark James 1971</small> <br> <small>Sidney Clare, Sam H, Stept, Bee Palmer</small> <small>1930</small><br> <small>Robert Hennig, Heinz Provost 1941</small><br> <small>Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern 1933</small><br> <small>Ross Parker, Hughie Charles 1939</small></font></td> <td borderColor="#000000" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(0,0,0) solid; BORDER-TOP: rgb(0,0,0) thin solid" vAlign="top" width="169"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="100%"><p align="right"><font color="#000000"><br> <br> <small>Ink  Spots Redac Productions and Diamond Entertainment Inc.<small><small><small><br> </small></small>Copyright � 1999, 2000 by CanDuNet Web Design Inc.<br> Webmaster: CanDuNet Web Design Inc.All rights reserved. Revised:23 Nov 2009 12:01:14 -0700</small></small></font></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </body>