Obituary
Hutchinson, Raymond Charles March 20, 1940 – October 31, 2021 . A beloved Canadian Music Icon passed away on Sunday, October 31st, 2021. Ray Hutchinson passed away at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre from complications due to COPD. Ray was a co-founder, guitar player and lead singer of Canada’s first Rock and Roll band, The Beau-Marks. The Beau-Marks’ who gave us such hits as ‘Classmate’, ‘The Tender Years’ and the hit single ‘Clap Your Hands’. Ray preformed all over Ontario and Quebec for close to 35 years and certainly left his mark in the Canadian music industry. Ray is survived by his daughter Melodie Hutchinson and his sister Dorothy Hutchinson, as well as the many friends and fans he had throughout his life. There will be a Celebration of Ray’s Life held at HIGHLAND PARK FUNERAL CENTRE 2510 Bensfort Rd., Peterborough on Saturday, November 20, 2021 at 12:00 PM. Reception to follow. Due to Covid-19 restriction’s, space is limited and face coverings are mandatory. In memory of Ray and in lieu of flowers, donations to the Shriners Hospital would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences and to register for Ray’s Celebration of Life please visit Ray’s Obituary at www.highlandparkfuneralcentre.com
RAY HUTCHINSON BIO …
Raymond Charles Hutchinson Jr. was born in Montreal, PQ on March 20, 1940 to Raymond Charles Hutchinson Sr. and Christina Muir, their third boy of five children. Ray was dealt an early blow, when, at the tender age of four, he contracted tuberculosis of the hip. The next twelve years would find Ray flat on his back in The Shriners’ Children’s Hospital, where Mrs. Moss, Ray’s in-house school teacher, encouraged him to sing after he heard the great Mario Lanza singing ‘Oh My Papa’ over the loudspeaker. Ray was hooked and at age sixteen he entered the School for Crippled Children where he met his beloved high school teacher, Mrs. Cochrane and another budding musician, Michel Robitaille. Ray and Michel quickly bonded and this soon led to a meeting with the very talented Joey Frechette and Gilles Tailleur.
Two years later, in 1958, everyone was forming a band to conquer the Rock ‘n’ Roll world. Ray’s was a winner, and they called themselves ‘The Beau-Marks’ who gave us such hits as ‘Classmate’, ‘The Tender Years’, ‘Dark is the Night’ and others. Their hit single ‘Clap Your Hands’ sold more than half a million copies and led them to their first album on the Quality label. The Beau-Marks, with Ray as balladeer and lead guitarist sky-rocketed to stardom in Canada and the United States, sending the teeny-boppers into orbit on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. What followed included appearances at New York’s Peppermint Lounge and Carnegie Hall where they shared the billing with Sammy Davis Jr. and Johnny Ray. Success reigned for five years and The Beau-Marks became Canada’s most recognized Rock ‘n’ Roll band.
In 1963, Ray’s solo career was launched when he teamed up with an up and coming foursome by the name of Dave Nicholls & The Coins. Ontario and Quebec’s nite club circuit, which stretched from Windsor to Montreal, couldn’t get enough of this most innovative Vegas style show that was ‘light years’ ahead of its time. Fans would come to enjoy the better of two worlds. The Coins’ with their precise arrangements of current pop tunes, and Ray’s charismatic style, c/w his signature cane, continually captured the hearts of his ever-appreciative audiences. Ray’s popularity grew and the next twenty-five years found him singing in front of several quality bands and playing some of the finest venues in the country, including The Savarin Tavern, The Embassy, The Ottawa House and two of his own supper clubs in Montreal. Being totally bilingual, Ray’s Quebec fans enjoyed his extensive French repertoire.
In 1988, while performing in Miami, Florida, Ray was hit by a car whilst taking a walk during a routine break. This near fatal accident sent Ray into a coma for almost eight weeks due to severe head injuries. With his singing career hanging in the balance, Ray was resigned to a lengthy convalescence that left him recuperating in Montreal for several years. Retirement eventually followed and Ray continued to pursue his passion for oil painting, composing and song writing. Two of his many songs, ‘Moonlight Party’ and ‘Rockin’ Blues’, led to his induction into the Hillbilly Hall of Fame along with Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Buck Owens, Conway Twitty and Ronnie Hawkins.
In 2005, Ray and Joey Frechette, the two surviving members of The Beau-Marks, were inducted into The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame for giving us ‘Clap Your Hands’. There is more that can be said about Ray Hutchinson, like the number of Canadian singers whose careers he influenced with his impeccable wardrobe and presentation skills. Ray was the first Canadian nightclub singer to use a wireless microphone, thus allowing him the freedom to mingle with the audience, for which he became famous. To enhance his shows, Ray pioneered an Infinite Dimensional Sound system and a multi-media video presentation that quickly set him apart as the leader amongst his contemporaries. Much to the owners’ delight, Ray was the first to set attendance records at many of his regular venues, like being held over at Toronto’s Embassy Tavern for a total of eighteen weeks. Most international theatre productions don’t run for eighteen weeks. How many clubs could boast weeks of being ‘sold out’ on the strength of one newspaper ad, simply reading “RAY’S BACK!”
So, as you can see, there is enough information here alone to perhaps warrant a documentary, a fitting tribute so deserving of a Canadian music legend. However, we must remember that all of this was done by a person who was physically challenged from the age of four and spent most of his life on pain medication. Where others might have given up, Ray endured, and through his determination and perseverance became an inspiration to his peers, friends and fans alike. If there is one recognized song that embodied Ray’s inner spirit, it would have to be ‘The Impossible Dream’ — for which he received countless standing ovations.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Raymond Charles Hutchinson March 20 1940 November 4 2021 (age 81)..
Death notice for the town of: Peterborough, Province: Ontario