Topics: International Speakers Bureau, Inc. |
 Fee Range: $20,001 to $30,000 (fee note) |
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 Biography: Ask about Collin Raye and his music and those who represent him will tell you about his five Platinum Albums, fifteen #1 hits and twenty-four top 10's. And they'll also let you know that he is one of the best vocalists and live entertainers around and cite his five nominations as Country Music's Male Vocalist of the year. In the past few years, Collin, while still retaining his love of country music, has added new genres to his recordings and shows. Few artists are lucky enough to have a career that keeps going in new directions. But Collin Raye is one of the lucky few to sustain not only a full and viable career, but also one who keeps garnering new fans and audiences with each new project. What started with a simple desire to entertain has turned into something that is almost a holy calling for Collin Raye. The man with the most muscular tenor in country music still puts on shows that are electrifying in their intensity. His commitment to music is life long. Collin his been singing professionally since he was a teenager. He has never held any other job. But as he keeps up a full concert and recording schedule, Collin has found that there is something deeper and more profound about what he does than merely entertaining people. "In the beginning, I wanted hits and all that," he reflects. "But what drives me now is what this music means to people. Songs have landed on me that made me realize there's more to this than I thought. It's about entertaining people one minute and inspiring them the next. That's what gets me on that tour bus every week. That's what keeps me interested in making records." Collin shot to fame in 1991 with "Love, Me". Listeners were so touched that they used its lyrics at funerals and memorial services. Most recently, Collin sang it to "Mother of the Year" Brenda Moore as a tribute to her late son, as was seen by a nationwide audience on ABC's "The Regis and Kelly" Show. Meeting Collin was a dream come true for her. She had actually put the lyrics to "Love Me" on her son's tombstone and said that Collin's music had gotten her family through the tough times after their loss. And Collin loves giving back. Emblematic of Collin's spirit of giving of himself is the annual three-day festival that he has sponsored and appeared at for the past eight years in his hometown of DeQueen, Arkansas. Dubbed "Collinfest", over $300,000 in proceeds have been used to send 24 students to the local college as well as fund various improvements to the Chamber of Commerce, DeQueen High School & Elementary School, DeQueen Medical Center, DeQueen Fire Department, the local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Humane Society, and on and on. This year's event will take place June 18-20, 2008 and has been increased in size and scope to raise even more money and awareness for charities. Raye is known for his meaningful songs. "Little Rock" was an anthem for the recovery community. "Not That Different" pleaded for tolerance. "In This Life" became a wedding favorite. He won awards for the child-advocacy video "The Eleventh Commandment". He has consistently used his stardom to advance social causes. Among the organizations he has supported are Boys Town, First Steps, Al-Anon, Special Olympics, Country Cares About Aids, Catholic Relief Services, Parade of Pennies, Vadnerbilt Children's Hospital, The Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence, The Emily Harrison Foundation, Childhelp USA, Silent Witness National Initiative, Easter Seals and Make A Difference Day. In the past year alone, Collin has donated the proceeds of his hit "A Soldier's Prayer" to the Wounded Warrior Project and his song and video of "Quitters" is aiding the Special Olympics. Last summer he appeared at the "Home for a Hero" benefit for wounded Nashville veteran Sgt. Kevin Downs; in fall Senator Orrin Hatch requested that Collin headline a show to aide the survivors of Utah's Crandall Canyon coal mine tragedy; last Christmas Collin starred in "Carols by Candlelight" for the Make a Wish Foundation. And this April Collin's giving gave back to him when he got to meet his hero, Muhammad Al, when he performed over two evenings for the Champ's "Celebrity Fight Night" benefit in Phoenix, Arizona. But perhaps the cause closest to Collin's heart is "Hailey's Helpers" named after his granddaughter Hailey who is afflicted with a rare degenerative brain disorder. Collin has worked tirelessly to help find a cure for Hailey. To help other families who are faced with dealing with similar overwhelming burdens, Collin formed "Hailey's Helpers". He says "I know personally the strain on both emotions and finances that dealing with this kind of difficult situation creates and I want to be able to support people who find themselves in similar circumstances." But of course anyone who has attended a Collin Raye concert or listened to any of his albums knows that music is, above all, a source of joy for both Collin and his listeners. And fun is not forgotten. Collin's musical favorites include: The Beach Boys, Elton John, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings just to name a few... He Recorded "Let It Be" for Come Together, the Beatles Tribute Album, "The Wall" for NASCAR Runnin' Wide Open and "Brown Sugar" for Stone Country. He enjoys playing guitar, bass and drums and has the distinction of climbing Mt. Rainer. Collin has a mean left hook. He's an avid boxing fan, has hung out with "The Undertaker", "duked" it out with a few pros, and has appeared with the WWF (but didn't wrestle much to his managers' relief). He is a true history buff and can talk for hours about World Wars I and II, especially General George Patton, as well as the Revolutionary War. He is also extremely knowledgeable about sports. Collin recently moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where he lives with his extended family that includes his son, his daughter, and two granddaughters. * In partnership with Agency for the Performing Arts |
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