Michael Ray Rises to Occasion with Higher Education (and special guests)

"Whiskey and Rain" excels with half-full top 20 chart entry

​Michael Ray's made top marks in country music (see the full "Whiskey and Rain" video below complete with emotional ending) - and he's not watering anything down on his new EP (well, unless you count the holy variety). -TCC

“I read the Waylon Jennings’ books and I watched the Loretta Lynn documentaries,” Ray shares.     “I did all this ‘research’ and thought, ‘Okay this is how they did it. They got in their cars and went bar to bar, fan to fan. That was the only thing I knew about breaking into the music industry at the time. So that’s what I set out to do, and thanks to some of my ‘professors’ in Eustis, I was able to break through in a similar way.”
 
Now, after garnering over 1 billion global streams, over 650,000 album equivalents, over 100 million YouTube views, three No. 1 hits and five RIAA Gold-certified singles, Ray has essentially earned his doctorate in country music, and that knowledge is shared through this seven-song collection Higher Education.
 
“It feels incredible to finally have these songs out there,” shares Ray. “I’ve already felt even closer to fans as they sing back to me onstage every night. It lets me know that songs like ‘Whiskey And Rain’ and ‘Picture’ resonate with them, just as they resonated with me when I first heard them or began writing them.
 
“There’s nothing better than music to make you feel less alone, to get you hyped up for a good time or as a soundtrack to reminisce on the past,” Ray continues. “I hope this album opens the door to fans to help them feel like they know me better not only as an artist but as a person too.”
 
Written by Tim Montana, Derek George, Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell and Frank Rogers, and produced by Ross Copperman, Ray is joined by Lee Brice, Billy F. Gibbons, Tim Montana and Kid Rock on one of the first songs recorded for the album in the fall of 2020. The title track is a defiant and rebellious anthem about going through life, learning a lot along the way, and coming out of it stronger, having let it change you without hardening you.
 
They all said I wouldn’t amount to nothin’
But I know a thing or two ‘bout a thing two
Ain’t gonna tell it all but I’ll tell you something
There’s a lot of things that they don’t teach in school
I got my higher education
Good ole boy, bad reputation
School of hard knocks with a 4.0
Learning how to rock, learning how to roll
 
Having made his Opry debut in April 2015 with the help of his grandfather’s guitar, as of last month Ray has already just marked his 58th Opry appearance in those six years.
 
On Tuesday, Aug. 31, Ray was joined by special guests for a unique edition of his Honky Tonk Tuesday series, which landed the Florida native on the No. 32 spot on Pollstar’s 2020 “Top 100 Livestreamers.” The show took place in person at The Nashville Palace as well as virtually and can be re-watched on Michael Ray's Facebook page.
 
Higher Education track list:
 
1.     Whiskey And Rain (Josh Thompson, Jesse Frasure)
2.     Just The Way I Am (Michael Hardy, Ben West, Josh Miller)
3.   Holy Water (Ashley Gorley, Hunter Phelps, Ben Johnson, Michael Hardy) *NOTE not the same as song with the same title recorded by Big & Rich
4.     Picture (Michael Ray, David Garcia, Michael Hardy)
5.     Higher Education feat., Lee Brice, Billy F. Gibbons, Tim Montana and Kid Rock (Tim Montana, Derek George, Jeremy Bussey, Monty Criswell, Frank Rogers)
6.     Live Without You (Michael Hardy, Jessi Alexander, Corey Crowder)
7.     Didn’t Know I Was Country (Michael Ray, Taylor Phillips, Ashley Gorley)
 
Catch Ray on the road with his Just The Way I Am 2021 tour as it continues before wrapping in the fall at Tortuga Music Festival. Tickets are available at MichaelRayMusic.com. He's also joining Tracy Lawrence's annual "Mission Possible" November event in Nashville alongside Lainey Wilson and Dustin Lynch. Tickets here: www.eventbrite.com/e/tracy-lawrences-missionpossible-turkey-fry-benefit-concert-tickets-174510213747
 
Just The Way I Am 2021 Tour Dates (headlining unless otherwise noted):

Sept. 4                         Touchdowns & Tunes                                    Paducah, Ky.
*Support to Brantley Gilbert and Ashley McBryde
Sept. 10                       Washington State Fair                                  Puyallup, Wash.
Sept. 17                       Allegan County Fair 2021                              Allegan, Mich.
Sept. 18                       Swine N Dine                                                 Paxton, Ill.
Sept. 23                       Island Hopper Songwriters Festival            Ft. Myers, Fla.
Sept. 24                       Kern County Festival 2021     `                       Bakersfield, Calif.
Sept. 25                       Tunes & Tacos Festival 2021                         Yuma, Ariz.
Sept. 30                       The Blue Note                                                Columbia, Mo.
Oct. 1                           Joe’s on Weed St.                                           Chicago, Ill.
Oct. 2                          Dusty Armadillo                                             Rootstown, Ohio
Oct. 8                          Bluestone                                                        Columbus, Ohio
Oct. 9                          8 Seconds Saloon                                            Indianapolis, Ind.
Oct. 12                        Von Braun Center Arena                                Huntsville, Ala.
*Support to Lee Greenwood, Big & Rich, Crystal Gale and Dustin Lynch
Oct. 14                        Six String Grill & Stage                                    Foxborough, Mass.
Oct. 15                        Granite State Music Hall                                Laconia, N.H.
Nov. 14                       Tortuga Music Festival                                   Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
*Support to Jon Pardi
 

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​#countrymusic #newmusic #billygibbons #whiskeyandrain #opry