Ray Greene: Sustaining Soul, Faith, and a Global Music Life
In this episode of Local Music Somewhere, Terry Hudson sits down with Ray Greene — recording artist and touring vocalist with Carlos Santana — for a thoughtful conversation about purpose, discipline, and longevity in music.
Ray reflects on lessons learned from working alongside legends, the unseen realities of a professional music life, and how faith and character have shaped his journey across soul, gospel, jazz, and beyond. This episode is for creatives who care as much about calling and consistency as they do about the spotlight.
Ray Greene Talks Santana, Soul, and the Discipline Behind Longevity
About Me – Ray Greene
Ray Greene is a singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist living in Columbia, South Carolina. He received a degree in Music Performance from the world-renowned Berklee College of Music.
Having been brought up in the shadows of the great soul/R&B legends of our time, Ray is equally adept at the traditions of gospel, jazz, and blues.
He has performed and recorded with many of the most successful and influential names in the fields of pop, funk, and soul. The most notable include Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, the Isley Brothers, and Rick James.
Ray was selected from among several candidates around the country to serve as lead singer/trombonist for the legendary soul band Tower of Power, where he served for two years traveling throughout the US and Canada, as well as performing in Europe and Japan.
He was then asked to join famed guitarist and Woodstock performer Carlos Santana, who currently travels extensively to places all over the world, from Dubai, Singapore, and Australia to Monaco, Mexico, and South Africa. Santana’s music has been a tremendous showcase for Greene’s abilities as a vocalist, trombonist, and percussionist.
Greene has written and produced several recordings of his own music. Along with his band Universal Language, he received a Boston Music Award for their music entitled One People. His album All About Me/All About You was released in the UK and received rave reviews. His first-ever gospel recording, Songs of Hope, Inspiration and Joy, was met with critical and commercial success. He released a follow-up recording of gospel-inspired material titled Heaven Bound, which features soul-stirring renditions of “His Eye Is On The Sparrow,” “Last Mile Of The Way,” and “Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone.”
His voice has been featured in commercials for Converse sneakers (with former basketball superstar Magic Johnson), ESPN, Cadillac Motors, Bose speakers, Fox Television, and Walt Disney Productions.
Ray has been asked to perform the national anthem for many major league and college sporting events. The Boston Red Sox baseball team, the New England Patriots football team, the New England Revolution, and the Boston College football and basketball programs have enlisted his services. The San Francisco Giants invited him to perform the “Star Spangled Banner” during a recent baseball championship playoff run.
His music and voice have been heard regularly on the daytime soap operas The Young and the Restless and One Life to Live. He is the featured performer on the HBO documentary Legacy, which was nominated for a Grammy award.
The legendary Maya Angelou recruited Greene to perform a cappella renditions of her favorite inspirational hymns to open an engagement at the Boston Opera House.
Greene has most recently signed a licensing and recording deal with Ubuntu Records in the UK. His album Stay was released in the spring of 2023. It features songs he wrote and was produced specifically for the styles of soul/R&B music. He embarked on his first-ever solo tour to Europe to support the release of the recording, performing a rousing set in front of 15,000 people at the Freedom Festival in The Hague.
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