Proof that heartbroken wallowing can feel good if it swings, “Whiskey And Rain” marked his first multi-week No. Now, two hit albums into that all-too-rare blend of critically acclaimed and commercially successful career, Ray has released Higher Education, a seven-song collection produced by GRAMMY-nominated producer Ross Copperman. Ray has garnered over 1 billion global streams, over 650,000 album equivalents, over 100 million YouTube views and has performed at the Grand Ole Opry over 60 times. 1 songs – RIAA Platinum-certified “Think a Little Less,” RIAA Gold-certified “Kiss You in the Morning,” RIAA Gold-certified “One That Got Away” and RIAA Gold-certified “Whiskey And Rain” – plus “Get to You” and “Her World or Mine,” brings his tally to five Gold-certified singles. In five short years, Ray has built an impressive foundation: four No. Ray says music saved him, but it did even more: Music made him.
It’s family and stories, history and hope. It’s the childhood refuge he found during the pain of his parents’ divorce. For Michael Ray, music is his grandfather singing and sweating on a rural Florida stage.
