Ray Johnston first made his name widely known in 2004 when he got himself into the NBA as a point guard for the Dallas Mavericks. He accomplished this as an undrafted free agent, the odds of which are equivalent to winning a Mega-Million lottery. In 2005 he was delivered a crushing blow when he was diagnosed with Leukemia and saw his newly realized dream of playing pro ball dashed.
Since then, Ray has won many battles, and most recently, has also won the battle of stepping out from under his own shadow as a pro athlete and establishing himself a genuine music artist, celebrating his successful evolution into a solid music career with the release of his album “No Bad Days.”
Now, after a year and a half of keeping up with the demands of a successful album, Ray has given fans more of those buoyant vibes with the release of his newest EP #GoesGoodWith, released on May 27th.
I like the songs I co-write and sing to be like a good romantic comedy. The right balance of humor, joy, love, honesty, wit and always more sun than rain. This is how I would describe “#GoesGoodWith”, Johnston stated.
Ray’s abiding engagement with fans and heavy social media presence inspired his new six-song EP with repeat producer Eric Herbst, recorded at the Panhandle House in Denton, Texas.
The EP offers that signature feel-good ambiance that is a trusting side-kick down life’s many roads. Songs like the Tex-Mex infused “Little Lupe,” the straight up countryfied “My Liver Don’t Live Here Anymore” and “Make Mine A Double,” the sequel to his hit single off his previous album “More Crown Than Coke,” has got you covered for the satirical sides of life. “Beautiful You” is pure “love song” and the finest tune in this collection, written with Paul Overstreet, Roger Creager and Matt Boggs.
The company Ray has kept among his songwriting peers has definitely stepped up his game, so sitting in a room writing a song with a #1 hit songwriter like Paul Overstreet is what Ray likens to, “The equivalent of me ever getting to play basketball with Michael Jordan.” “Watching The Lord Turn On The Lights” is an outdoorsy type, at home in the majesty of nature, a quiet respect taught to him by his father throughout his life. A stand out on the EP “Horses And Hearts,” a retro country music throwback sang as a duet with 17-year old prodigy from Ft. Worth, Abbey Cone.
Ray’s social media prowess has built him a solid rapport with his fans, and what they think about his music is paramount. The #GoesGoodWith” campaign will be an ongoing open platform for fans to weigh in on, their comments a welcomed source of inspiration for Ray’s next project, and a way to incorporate new sponsors and brand alignments with Bud Light, Alabama Sweet Tea, Zodiac Vodka, & Levi’s.
Ray, a five-time leukemia survivor, will also make hospitals visits acting as an ambassador for these comfortable new alternatives. Ray’s feet-to-the-pavement work ethic securing partnerships with Luke’s Fastbreaks and Be The Match, a sponsorship deal with Bud Light, national music placements and a growing tour schedule certainly exposes a sharp mind, but at his core, Ray is all heart.
Ray Johnston has experienced the cancer fight firsthand, so he understands exactly how much something as simple as a shirt would make a patient feel a little bit happier while they are in the hospital. Luke’s FastBreaks hopes to have a positive impact on our community and children across the world by making the pediatric cancer fight just a little bit better. Ray Johnston’s positive outlook on life is contagious. We hope that throughout the #GoesGoodWith tour we can join Ray Johnston on hospital visits and pass out Luke’s Fast Breaks shirts with his logo on the front in communities he performs in, so that we can team together to share Ray Johnston’s mission and upbeat music with the world (and cheer up cancer patients in the process)!” -Britton Lynn/Luke’s FastBreaks
For tour dates and more information on Ray Johnston, visit www.rayjohnstonband.com and follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Check out the first single from the EP “Make Mine A Double” here:
