Jimmy Ray

Jimmy's career took off in 1997 after signing with SONY S2 Records and Universal Music Publishing (formerly MCA) in 1994. His debut single Are You Jimmy Ray?—accompanied by a critically acclaimed retro-style video—performed strongly in the UK, US, and globally. It reached #13 in the UK charts (Oct '97), and in 1998 climbed to #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100, entering the Top 10 sales chart. Jimmy still holds a 28-year record for the highest-ever debut chart entry by a UK solo artist in the US. The single sold over 500,000 copies in the US, earning him a RIAA Gold Award and an ASCAP Award. This success led to major US TV appearances, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The View, and Ricki Lake, as well as extensive US radio and media coverage. In the UK, Jimmy appeared on Top of the Pops, The National Lottery Show, and numerous other major TV and radio programs. His popularity spread into Canada, where his self-titled debut album went gold with over 50,000 sales. His 2017 self-produced comeback album, 'Live to Fight Another Day' confirmed Ray's love of 50's Rock'n'Roll while, in places, demonstrating a shift in style into electronic music, a genre well-known to Gen X'er Ray. Ray released a cover of Elvis Presley's '(You're the) Devil in Disguise' in October 2026 in advance of his third studio album, 'Pop-O-Matic'.