Music Fiesta
Michael Ray is always looking to do something he’s never done. When the 30-year-old country singer got the opportunity to play at the Music Fiesta, which is part of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, he jumped at the chance.
“I’ve heard so much about this event,” he says during a recent phone interview. “We’re going to be playing another show in New Mexico that same weekend. I’ll get to see two very different parts of the state.”
Ray is joined by Albuquerquebased band The Noms and country powerhouse Old Dominion as part of the fiesta lineup.
Ray has come a long way in the country music scene since his win in the 2012 reality competition series, “The Next: Fame Is at Your Doorstep.” He was mentored by country singer John Rich.
Capitalizing on the win, Ray took some time to record his selftitled debut album in 2015.
The lead single, “Kiss You in the Morning,” hit No. 1 on the country charts.
The next singles, “Real Men Love Jesus” and “Think a Little Less,” both made an impact on the charts, with the latter reaching No. 2.
Ray is back with his sophomore album, “Amos,” which is named after his grandfather. The album debuted June 1 at No. 5 on the country charts.
Ray played in his grandfather’s band beginning at the age of 9.
He credits his grandfather for helping shape him both personally and professionally.
“I wanted to put together an album that represented where I was coming from and how much he meant to me,” Ray says. “I took my time in getting the tracks together so when the album is played, it is done so like a story.”
The first single, “Get To You,” had a top 15 run on the charts and his latest single. “One That Got Away” continues to rise into the top 20 on the country charts.
Ray went into the studio and recorded 16 tracks. He then had to whittle it down to the 11 on the album.
“The hardest part of this process was to get the list down to 11 songs,” he says. “We’ve poured so much into the project that each piece was important. But I was looking for it to be as cohesive as it could be. In the end, I’m really proud of this album and what it represents.”
In his spare time, Ray also looks to give back to the community through philanthropic efforts.
Last year, he launched “Wrigley Cares: Helping Animals In Need” as a component to his
“Get To You Tour,” asking fans via social media to bring pet supplies as donations to specified drops at each venue. Wrigley Cares was named for Ray’s dog, Wrigley. In just four weeks, Ray and his fans collected over 100,000 meals to donate to animals in need. He also partnered with Zappos for Good in designing a new “Wrigley Cares Limited-Edition Puma Classic Suede” shoe; all proceeds benefit Wrigley Cares. “I’ve been given a platform where I can help out on a bigger scale,” he says. “I feel like I have to give back and remind people that we are in this together. We are all human and live in this world. Why not try to make it a better place.”