NEW GROUP SAME SOUND—Even though two of the three original members of Ray, Goodman & Brown have passed, Billy Brown has kept their sound alive with the two new members, Kevin Owens, 25 years and Larry Winfree, 27 years. They are not in order, Brown is first from left.
Audience members are invited to party with Ray, Goodman & Brown when the group graces the Kelly Strayhorn stage for New Horizon Theater’s annual black tie event this Saturday, May 4.
“We try to have the audience leave the theater saying that they didn’t see Ray, Goodman & Brown, they partied with Ray, Goodman & Brown,” said Billy Brown, the last living original member of the group. “We put on a good, quality show and we do old songs that people are familiar with.”
The group will be making a return to Pittsburgh after a seven-year absence as the headliners for New Horizon’s event.
“New Horizon Theater is a community theater and Joyce tries to raise money for the theater and to bring art into the community. She’s a sincere woman and she loves her people that’s rare and that’s something to be proud of. I’m glad to be a part of it,” Brown said.
New Horizon Chairperson Joyce Meggerson-Moore is happy to be bringing the group back to the ‘Burgh.
“We looked at our budget and the groups that do good performances and don’t overcharge us because we’re trying to raise money to have our plays,” said Meggerson-Moore. “It was a good time for rotation in our lineup and they understand our mission. They have brought in new members and many of the members have been a part of the group for 20 years or more but people are going to hear the sound they recognize.”
Ray, Goodman & Brown got its genesis in Hackensack in the 1960’s with Brown and deceased members Al Goodman and Harry Ray. The group’s greatest successes came in the 1970’s with “Inside of You,”“Love On a Two Way Street,” “Look at Me (I’m In Love)” and “Special Lady.”
The song “Not on the Outside” was written specifically for Brown who worked at Ford Motor Company at the time. Brown said he was unable to get to the recording session and a group from Washington, D.C. recorded the song, to Brown’s dismay.
“I was in the bathtub and I heard the song, which was no. 25 in the country by the Moments,” Brown recalled. “I was angry.”
One night after work, Brown was at a bar that he frequented and the bartender told him that Larry Roberts was looking for him. He left the bar and once he returned Roberts asked Brown if he wanted to be the lead singer of the Moments.
“I said ‘yeah, right.’ Larry told me he’d pick me up the next morning and I still didn’t believe him. When he showed up, that’s when it hit me.”
Brown had his first show as lead singer of the Moments at the end of that whirlwind week. “I got $2,500 for that performance and I said “Oh, I like this.”
And the rest, as they say, is history.
The group changed its name to Ray, Goodman & Brown because of contract problem with their record company and had a string of hits throughout the 70’s like “Special Lady.”
“Special Lady was the last song we recorded for the album. We needed a filer and we said we have this song called Special Lady. We didn’t know that it’d be one of the biggest hits we ever recorded,” Brown said. “Most of our songs were written by the late Sylvia Robinson, Bert Keys or George Kerr. The lyrics of the songs are positive about what a woman would want her man to say to her. This is Black music. Our music. With White music, they don’t let their music die. But we Black artists, we are only as good as our last record.”
Ray, Goodman& Brown has been blessed to continue to draw crowds to their concerts despite shifts in the music business.
“This is a dog eat dog business but Ray, Goodman & Brown never thought they were above anyone,” said Brown who resides in New Jersey. “We’ve always taken time with people and tried to treat people the way we wanted to be treated because your fans are the people who make you. It is only by the grace of the fans that you are where you are.
“This business has changed. There are about three major labels left and it gets harder and harder but also easier and easier with the Internet,” Brown said. “If artists put their music out and people like them, they can get signed by a major record label.”
The group has been able to change with the times but still remain true to their sound as balladeers.
The up tempo “ I Just Wanna Dance” will be released in June or July with a complete CD to be released afterwards.
Brown will be releasing two inspirational CD’s soon. He can currently be seen performing some of the songs on Trinity Broadcasting Network.
“That’s what I’ve been wanting to do. I’ll be going back in the studio after we leave Pittsburgh,” Brown said. “It’s been great doing these songs for God. If you put God first in your life, you’ll find out that when things seem impossible, God makes them possible. I put God first in everything. If you do that, he’ll guide you if you are sincere in your heart.”
He will rejoin his Ray, Goodman & Brown bandmates to rerecord some of the group’s greatest hits for an infomercial possibly for Time Warner.
When he isn’t performing, Brown enjoys spending time with his grandchildren attending church and cooking.
Tickets for Ray, Goodman & Brown begin at $40. The $100 ticket includes: performance, orchestra seating, brochure listing, and black-tie reception with Ray, Goodman& Brown.
To purchase tickets to the concert, call 412-431-0773 or send an email to newhorizontheater@yahoo.com.