Remembering Ray Wood 1942 - 2024

Ray Wood passed away peacefully at home on November 14, 2024. We know he always wanted to stay at home, and we send our condolences to his family and all his friends who miss him dearly.
Thanks to everyone who was able to make it to Ray’s memorial in January. Thanks to those who sent kind thoughts and words from afar, especially thanks to everyone who traveled from afar to be there at the Olympia Eagles. What began as one big jam continued until there was music in every corner of the hall blending with the consistent flow of cheerful conversation as we all honored our own memories of Ray. A photo remembrance of Ray, including photos displayed at the memorial, is now available as a slideshow: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RoSJCVLUSbeXQzf79
A memorial celebration will also take place during the National Old-Time Fiddle Contest in Wesier, Idaho in June in the Stickerville Camp. another memorial celebration will be held in Weiser, Idaho during the third full week in June to celebrate Ray’s life once again at the annual music event he loved the most: the National Old-Time Fiddle Contest with perpetual jamming all around the campgrounds and especially in a special place called Stickerville. The organization’s website explains how Stickerville is owned and operated by a non-profit comprised of volunteers. Weiser Friends of the Fiddle, Inc.(501(c)3) is accepting contributions in Ray’s memory. Click here to visit the Stickerville website where donations are accepted to support the Ray Wood Memorial & Scholarship Fund.
Ray Wood’s first radio performance was in Bremerton as a child, he joined Arkie Shibley and his Mountain Dew Boys on their live performance of “Hot Rod Race No. 1”, cited as the first groundbreaking hot rod song, also the precursor song to “Hot Rod Lincoln”. Ray was present for rehearsals of the song in his parents’ living room (his parents were big country music fans, and stars would stay at their home). The rehearsed band recorded the famous song in Seattle, it was released in 1950 when Ray was eight years old.
With his brother, Chuck, Ray was a founding member of the Rhythm Rockets, one of the Northwest’s first rock and roll bands in the 1950s. In 1959, Ray lied about his age to a recruiter to tour USO halls in the Far East, backing up artists like the Delmore Brothers, The Coasters, and Sir Lancelot. Ray toured for several weeks with Tommy Duncan of western swing fame, and Ray backed him up on guitar and often led a house band whenever one was available. After spending the 1960s in places like Taipei, Saipan, Seoul, and Okinawa, Ray returned stateside and held several standing musical residencies over the years. Ray played rock guitar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in the 1980s, and in Northeast Portland at a bustling country music club (when Ray departed from that daily gig, he was replaced by the legendary Jimmy Bryant).
Ray Wood was literally a walking archive of music, and our band, Hot Club Sandwich, first met him as a teacher. One day, we invited him to street perform with us at the NW Folklife Festival (on tenor guitar). Ray would remind us that we made him an honorary member of the band that day — eventually Ray joined Hot Club Sandwich and recorded on our 2005 Green Room album. Our next album, And if Only (2010) included an appearance by Dan Hicks and featured Ray’s composition as the title track.
Likewise, Ray and Vann Cantin, his songwriting partner at the time, composed the title track to our 2018 album No Pressure, which turned out to be Ray’s debut performance of lead vocals on a recorded album. No Pressure captures a special moment in Ray’s musical journey, including several compositions he brought to the group. David Grisman offered production advice and played on half of the tracks, and Ray always spoke about how he loved the process and how it turned out.
Over the years, we have been compiling a “Ray List” of songs which Ray loved to sing. It’s in the hundreds. Please send us a message if you remember one of his favorite songs, and we’ll add it to the “Ray List”. Feel free to send an email to hotclubsandwich [at] gmail.com.
