Editing Ray Stevens (section)

==Career==
===Early career===
At the age of 18, Stevens signed to [[Capitol Records]]' Prep Records division in 1957,<ref name="AMC"/> and produced the single "Silver Bracelet", with a cover of "Rang Tang Ding Dong" as the B-side. The single was met with a positive review from ''Billboard''.<ref>{{cite magazine| title=Reviews and Ratings| page=52| magazine=Billboard| date=January 24, 1957}}</ref> The B-side was originally recorded by doo-wop group The Cellos in 1956.<ref>{{cite book| last=Warner| first=Jay| title=American Singing Groups: A History, From 1940 to Today| year=2006| publisher=Hal Leonard| isbn=978-0-352-33533-3| page=100}}</ref>

Stevens signed with [[Mercury Records]] in 1961.<ref>{{cite book| last=Wadhams| first=Wayne| title=Inside the Hits: The Seduction of a Rock and Roll Generation (Pop Culture)| year=2001| publisher=Berklee Press| pages=78–82| isbn=978-0-6340-1430-7}}</ref>

===1970s===
In the 1970s, Stevens became a producer and studio musician in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]. He recorded songs for [[Barnaby Records]] and [[Warner Bros.]] during 1970–1979. Stevens' biggest hit in the U.S. was his gospel-inflected single "[[Everything Is Beautiful]]" (1970). It won a [[Grammy Award]], was the theme song for his summer 1970 TV show, a number-one hit on both the pop and adult contemporary charts, and marked his first time in the top 40 on the country charts, peaking at number 39. The single sold over one million copies and was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book| first=Joseph| last=Murrells| year=1978| title=The Book of Golden Discs| edition=2nd| publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd| location=London| page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/286 286]| isbn=978-0-2142-0512-5| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/286}}</ref>

Stevens had a transatlantic chart-topping hit in 1974 with "[[The Streak (song)|The Streak]]", a novelty song about [[streaking]] that reached number one on the American and British singles charts.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bronson |first1=Fred |title=The Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits |date=2003 |publisher=Billboard Books |isbn=978-0-8230-7677-2 |page=365 |edition=updated and expanded 5th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&q=%22ray+stevens%22+%22the+streak%22&pg=PT374 |accessdate=2018-07-08}}</ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book| first=David| last=Roberts| year=2006| title=[[British Hit Singles & Albums]]| edition=19th| publisher=Guinness World Records Limited| location=London| isbn=978-1-9049-9410-7| page=301}}</ref>

Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, with some exceptions (such as "[[Shriner's Convention (song)|Shriner's Convention]]" in 1981), Stevens focused mostly on serious material, as he felt that the novelty song was becoming less popular in the era.<ref name=nutsoversquirrel>{{cite magazine| date=December 8, 1984| title=Stevens Nuts over 'Squirrel'| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| pages=39, 42| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zSQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22mississippi+squirrel+revival%22&pg=RA1-PA39}}</ref> Stevens had an adult contemporary crossover hit in 1979 with "[[I Need Your Help Barry Manilow]]", a cut from Stevens's [[Barry Manilow]] tribute/parody album ''[[The Feeling's Not Right Again]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1979-04-28| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105210838/http://www.billboard.com/charts/adult-contemporary/1979-04-28| url-status=dead| archive-date=November 5, 2016| title=Adult Contemporary Chart| magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

===1980s===
Stevens then joined MCA in 1984. Feeling that novelty songs were becoming popular again, he authorized the rush release of "[[Mississippi Squirrel Revival]]" in 1984, which reached the country top 20.<ref name=nutsoversquirrel/> In 1985, Stevens performed at the [[Lanierland Music Park]] in Georgia with Pinkard & Bowden.<ref name="Inc.1985">{{cite magazine| title=Box Score Top Grossing Concerts| magazine=Billboard| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4yQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT48| date=June 1, 1985| page=48| issn=0006-2510}}</ref>

===21st century===
In February 2002, following the [[September 11 attacks]], Stevens released ''[[Osama—Yo' Mama: The Album]]'' after the title track, which was released as a single in late 2001, peaked at #48 on the [[Hot Country Songs]] chart in 2001. The album reached #29 on the US Top Country Albums chart.

In April 2010, Stevens released ''We the People'', a CD/DVD of political songs. This album reached Top-5 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Comedy Album chart.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/ray-stevens/biography/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130223091419/http://www.cmt.com/artists/ray-stevens/biography| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 23, 2013| title=Ray Stevens Bio: Ray Stevens Career| website=CMT Artists| access-date=April 12, 2017| language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://shop.raystevens.com/we-the-people-cd| title=We The People CD| website=Ray Stevens| access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref>

''RAY-ality TV'' ended its digital TV run in January 2014. Two months later, a [[webisode]] series, also titled ''Rayality TV'' was launched. Later in 2014, Stevens co-starred in the movie ''Campin' Buddies''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152378293854871&set=a.10150358709939871.369677.99557674870&type=1&theater |title=Ray Stevens – Timeline Photos |website=Facebook |access-date=August 20, 2014}}</ref>

Stevens published his autobiographical memoir ''Ray Stevens' Nashville'' in 2014.<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LSOsoAEACAAJ| title=Ray Stevens' Nashville| first1=Ray| last1=Stevens| first2=C. W. Buddy| last2=Kalb| date=March 1, 2014| publisher=Harold R.Ragsdale A/K/A Ray Stevens| isbn=978-0-6159-9308-9| access-date=October 27, 2017| via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ray-stevens-nashville-details-comic-performers-versatile-career-95889/| title=''Ray Stevens' Nashville'' Details Comic Performer's Versatile Career: Comedic country legend writes memoir of good old days in Music City| author=Betts, Stephen L.| access-date=June 20, 2014| date=June 20, 2014| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref>

In 2015, Stevens began producing and hosting ''Ray Stevens Nashville'', a 30-minute weekly music variety show on cable TV. Since then, the show has been rebranded as ''Ray Stevens CabaRay Nashville'' and is now filmed on stage at his own CabaRay Showroom, which opened to the public in early 2018.

Stevens released the album ''Here We Go Again'' on March 24, 2015, which includes the [[Taylor Swift]] spoof single "Taylor Swift is Stalking Me"<ref>Billboard, March 24, 2015 – [https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-615/6509612/ray-stevens-interview-taylor-swift-is-stalkin-me-video Ray Stevens Returns With 'Taylor Swift Is Stalkin' Me' – By Chuck Dauphin]</ref> and "Come to the USA".<ref>{{cite magazine| magazine=Billboard| date=March 24, 2015| url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/957953/ray-stevens-has-youtube-hit-with-pro-arizona-song| title=Ray Stevens Has YouTube Hit With Pro-Arizona Song| first=Chuck| last=Dauphin| access-date=October 10, 2022}}</ref>