Lyman Wade Ray was born on April 6, 1916, in Evansville, Indiana. Raised in Boynton, Arkansas, Ray showed a real interest in the fiddle and by the time he was 5, he was performing on stage as the 'Youngest Violin Player in the World.' Ray soon took up singing and the guitar and tenor banjo.
In the 1930's, Ray was on the Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit touring Indiana. By age 10, he had amassed a collection of over 100 fiddles, most of which were given to him by his enthusiastic fans. He continued touring until 1931 when he turned 18, then joining Pappy Cheshire's National Champion Hillbillies on KMOX in St. Louis. Ray continued this gig for the next 12 years. After a year in the Army, Ray settled in Chicago and became a member of the Prairie Ramlers often appearing on the WLS National Barn Dance (Chicago).
One of Wade Ray's great distinctions is that he was the very first person to play an electric fiddle.
Over the years, Wade Ray backed up performers such as Patsy Montana and the Ozark Mountain Boys.
In 1949, Ray moved to Los Angeles and became a regular on the Rex Allen Show. Ray's career really took off during this time, doing a 10-year engagement at Cowtown and appearing regularly at clubs in Reno, Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. In the 1960's Ray was a regular on the Grand Ole Opry, the Ernest Tubb Show and the Roy Rogers Show.
Ray's recording career began in 1949 with a one year contract with Paramount (now absorbed by MCA) which produced three singles. In 1951, Ray signed with RCA Victor and stayed with that label for six years releasing 23 singles! 'Idaho Red' was a single from this time period. In 1966, Ray signed with ABC-Paramount (also absorbed by MCA) a released his first album, A Ray of Country Sun. In 1967, Ray collaborated on a 'who's who' of country musicians on an album titled Down Yonder -- Country Fiddlers. Other greats on that album included Homer & Jethro, Sonny Osborne and Pig Robbins. The album was produced by Chet Atkins.
Ray moved to Sparta, Illinois in 1979 and continued playing with the KSD-AM roadshow until his retirement. In Sparta, the town hosts an annual Wade Ray Fiddling Contest.
Wade died on Wednesday, November 11, 1998. He was 82 years old.
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