RAY BAKER WILL BE GUEST SPEAKER FOR MAY12TH MEETING

RAY BAKER , SAX PLAYER,  PRODUCER, PUBLISHER

For more than three decades, the professional performance of Ray L. Baker on the piano, alto, soprano, and tenor saxophones have been entertaining and motivating to all listening ears. Ray’s heart’s desire is to touch people’s lives through music. Ray studied music and Business Administration at Wichita State University. While in college Ray formed and played with many different groups and begin writing music.
PRODUCER
For two decades, Ray L Baker has been assisting songwriters, singers and instrumentalist began their music careers by producing professional "Demo", "Album Projects" and Accompaniment Tracks.
PUBLISHER
 Ray - Pam Publishing was established as a quest for new artists especially singers and instrumentalists who need original material for an album project. These compositions are in the music genre of Jazz, (swing, bebop, Latin Jazz, Funk jazz, R&B and Pop music styles. The vocal compositions are primarily Christian themes, ranging from Evangelism to Worship as well as love songs. Ray-Pam Publishing has an extensive repertoire of songs to be placed with the right vocalist or instrumentalist who has an unique and individual style, thus creating a personal musical signature.

JIM COLLINS SPEAKS AT APRIL14 2015 MEETING VIA SKYPE

As the songwriter behind some of Country Music’s biggest hits of the last decade, Jim Collins is pure and simply a hitmaker. A two time Grammy nominated songwriter who has written songs that have launched careers for new artists and created peak moments for some of Country Music’s biggest superstars.
Jim’s current streak of singles is a great example of this consistency, quality and diversity. Jim ‘s  most recent hits include the multi week #1 smashes “Big Green Tractor” (Jason Aldean) “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven” (Kenny Chesney) “ and “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” by (Thompson Square) which was iTunes “2011 Country Song Of The Year” and Country  Aircheck’s #1 Country Song Of The Year.  Jim was also nominated for a Grammy for “Best Country Song” with “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not”.
Chart success is nothing new for Jim, a native of Nacogdoches, Texas.  Among his numerous #1 songs is the co-written smash, “The Good Stuff” which was a seven-week number one for Kenny Chesney and was named Billboard Song of the Year, ASCAP Song of the Year and Single of the Year by the Academy of Country Music.
Jim’s next number one song was courtesy of his fellow Texas native and Country Music legend, George Strait, who took “It Just Comes Natural” to the top of the charts for four weeks in 2006.
That same year, Jim was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Song with “I Don’t Feel Like Lovin’ You Today” performed by Gretchen Wilson.
Other hit singles written by Jim include “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” (Kenny Chesney), “Then They Do” (Trace Adkins), “Hands of A Workin’ Man (Ty Herndon), “Love Workin’ On You” (John Michael Montgomery) and the multi-week #1 “Yes” performed by Chad Brock.  This is in addition to the top 40 singles, “That Song In My Head” (julianne Hough), “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead” (Jason Michael Carrol), “God Must Really Love Me” (Craig Morgan), “In My Next Life” (Terri Clark), “They Call It Fallin’ For A Reason” (Trisha Yearwood), “While You’re Still Young” (Montgomery Gentry), “Wanna Make You Love Me” (Andy Gibson), “Hauled Off And Kissed Me” (Steve Holy) and “Pound Sign” by Texas artist (Kevin Fowler).
Jim has had over 150 of his songs recorded by such Country Music superstars as Carrie Underwood, Reba McIntire, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Rodney Atkins,  Lee Brice, Chris Young, Little Big Town, Joe Nichols, LeAnn Rimes, Ashley Monroe, Darryl Worley, Kenny Rogers, Lonestar, Dwight Yoakum, Don Williams, Ronnie Milsap, Easton Corbin, Dustin Lynch, Chuck Wicks and many others.