RAY HARRISON

Ray Harrison entered the world in 1947, on his grandmother’s dining room table in Mount Dennis, Toronto.

At the tender age of 5, Ray and the family moved to Woodstock where young Ray was enrolled in piano lessons at the Royal Conservatory of Music and began his musical journey.

By 1960 he was playing with Del Shannon (Runaway, Hats off to Larry) and then in 1961 joined the Kudlets circuit (a prominent booking agent of the day) for the rest of the decade. 

From 1970 to 1973 he played with the successful rock band Greaseball Boogie and the name was changed to Shooter as the image of the band changed. They were nominated for a Juno award based on their popular version of the Leo Sayer tune Long Tall Glasses (You Know I Can Dance). Unfortunately they lost out to Rush.

Ray left Shooter in 1977 and joined Crowbar. They toured across Canada until in 1978 the band was forced to part after an unfortunate accident involving their tour truck and all their instruments.

Ray joined Hock Walsh’s band at the Isabella Hotel Toronto. By 1978 Ray was playing a regular gig there. Hock had departed and Ray continued on the very popular Cameo Blues Band. Many artists sat in and shared the stage with them - Roy Buchanan, Elvin Bishop, Lowell Fulsom, Etta James, Otis Rush, Albert King, Spencer Davis, Dan Ackyroyd, Georgie Fame, Richard Berry (wrote Louie Louie) and Big Joe Turner. The Cameo Blues Band is still playing today.

Ray has also recorded with the Downchild Blues Band, Carpet Frogs and Private Eye. More than one fellow musician has referred to him as “the best rock and rock keys player in the industry."