Ray Stevens Parents: Meet Frances Stephens Ragsdale, Willis Harold Ragsdale

American country and pop singer-songwriter and comedian Ray Stevens was born in Clarkdale, Georgia to Willis Harold Ragsdale and Frances Stephens Ragsdale (1916-97).

John Stevens, Stevens’ younger brother, was an actor and writer. John passed away in 2020 at the age of 75. While in high school, Stevens formed his first band, The Barons, a rhythm and blues group. Stevens went on to study music at Georgia State University after graduating.

Ray Stevens began his musical journey as a session musician and songwriter, working behind the scenes in the music industry. In the late 1950s, Ray Stevens ventured into performing and recording his own music.

Some of his most popular and enduring hits include “The Streak,” “Mississippi Squirrel Revival,” “Ahab the Arab,” and “Everything Is Beautiful,” which won him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

In addition to his music, Ray Stevens has dabbled in other forms of entertainment, including television and film. He hosted his own variety show, “The Ray Stevens Show,” in the early 1970s, and appeared in movies such as “Cannonball Run II” (1984) and “National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1” (1993).

Throughout his career, Ray Stevens has been recognized for his contributions to the music industry. He has received numerous awards, including Grammy Awards, and has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Christian Music Hall of Fame.