Music Executive, Pioneer, and Songwriter Eddie Ray Passes Away at 99

The music world has lost a giant, and North Carolina has lost one of its most cherished sons.

Edward “Eddie” Ray — pioneering music industry executive, celebrated songwriter, published poet, and the foundational architect of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame — passed away on June 21, 2026, at the age of 99. His was a life lived fully, joyfully, and purposefully, leaving an indelible mark on virtually every corner of American arts and culture.

Eddie Ray was born on December 21, 1926, in Franklin, North Carolina, a small mountain town nestled in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is the kind of place that leaves its mark on a person. Its deep valleys, ancient ridgelines, and close-knit community woven into the character of everyone who grows up there. Franklin gave Eddie his roots, his work ethic, a quiet grace, and a love of storytelling that he would carry into rooms where history was made. He carried that mountain spirit everywhere he went.

And he went everywhere. Eddie’s journey is one of the great American triumphs. Rising from stock boy to become one of the first African American senior executives at a major record label, his career stands as a testament to vision, talent, and tireless determination. Across more than sixty years in the music industry, his executive leadership helped steer M.G.M. Records, Imperial Records, Cream/Hi Records, and Capitol Records.

His ear for talent was boundless, transcending genre and generation. Eddie championed an extraordinarily diverse roster of legendary artists: Fats Domino, Rick Nelson, Sandy Nelson, Dave Bartholomew, Mike Curb, Allen Toussaint, Sammy Davis, Jr., The Osmonds, Donny & Marie Osmond, Pink Floyd, Lou Rawls, Hank Williams, Jr., Jimmy Smith, Slim Whitman, Al Green, Ian Whitcomb, Johnny Rivers, and Irma Thomas and so many more. He lifted the music of Ray Charles and B.B. King to wider audiences. And in one of the most quietly extraordinary chapters of his career, Eddie was the executive at Capitol Records who brought Pink Floyd to American audiences, a decision that would ripple through rock music for generations.

As a songwriter, his legacy lives in “Hearts of Stone,” a national hit that crossed pop, R&B, and country charts simultaneously. More than thirty artists recorded it, among them Elvis Presley, John Fogerty, and The McGuire Sisters. It later found its place in the acclaimed film Goodfellas, a fitting home for a song with that kind of enduring power.

But to define Eddie solely by his executive titles would be to miss the true depth of his soul. He was, fundamentally, a creator. A lifelong believer in the power of the written word, Eddie was a gifted poet and author who brought the same artistry to the page that he brought to the studio. Through his memoir, Against All Odds, and five published books of poetry, he explored the expansive, surprising, and beautiful realities of the human experience. Whether negotiating a contract or writing a verse, Eddie was always reaching for something lasting and true.

He brought that same integrity to public service. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the United States Senate, Eddie served as a Commissioner of the U.S. Copyright Royalty Tribunal in Washington, D.C. for eight years, including four as Chairman — a passionate advocate for the artists and creators he so deeply understood. He also founded the Tennessee College of Recording Arts & Sciences, ensuring that the next generation of musicians had the tools and knowledge to carry the music forward.

For us at the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, Eddie’s legacy is profoundly personal. In 2009, the boy from the Smoky Mountains came home. Following his induction into the Hall of Fame, he was appointed as our first Executive Director, building this organization’s operational foundation from the ground up. The community relationships he forged and the structures he established are the very reasons our museum stands today as one of the most celebrated state music halls of fame in the country.

Eddie Ray leaves behind a legacy of timeless music, beautiful poetry, public service, and quiet generosity. He spent 99 years lifting others up — artists, songwriters, students, and his beloved home state.

The world is richer for every gift he gave it. Franklin, North Carolina, and the Great Smoky Mountains are forever proud to call him their own.