Ray Smith, born October 30, 1934, died November 29, 1979 (suicide) birthplace Melber, Kentucky. Raised in Paducah, Kentucky, Ray Smith was taught piano at an early age and performed cowboy songs in school. As a teen he was a moonshine bootlegger with his brother-in-law and also worked for Coca-Cola. After a stint in the Air Force, Ray decided to jump on the burgeoning new rock and roll bandwagon, even though he admitted later that at first he hated rock and roll and his main influence was not Elvis, but Faron Young.