He’s one of the most recognisable faces in Australian entertainment due to his success in the sixth season of The X Factor Australia, but Ray was busking on the streets for several years longer than most reality stars. He knew he wanted to be a musician at the age of 12 while standing backstage at a festival. “I looked up, and I saw the stage lights and the road cases and the whole atmosphere behind the stage and it dawned on me, ‘This is it’,” he says. At 16, Ray took a leap of faith and decided to sacrifice it all for music.
“I knew that there was nothing for me there,” he says of leaving his family home in Meandarra, Queensland. “Just after my 16th birthday, I was sitting on the porch with my dad and I said, ‘I’ll probably go now.’ And he said, ‘What? Inside’?” His father soon realised that Ray was, in fact, moving away.
Ray’s musical journey has been a difficult road and he’s spent time in rehab due to alcoholism, but all his experiences have shaped his development. “Every human, really, goes through these rough patches,” he ponders. “A lot of the hardest times that you have tend to be some of the best times as well. I was always hungry. Your equipment gets stolen and you have to start again. Sometimes I didn’t have anywhere to stay and I slept in my car.”
Ray’s acutely aware reality shows have contributed to a blurring of the distinction between an artist and a singer. “The term ‘artist’ gets thrown around really loosely,” he says. “I’ve met a lot of people who claim to be an artist and they’re not. They’re just a singer – there’s a difference. The majority of artists in the world never get signed because they create,” he says. “Singers get signed – artists usually have to go out and do it themselves. I was lucky enough to get signed and remain with my artistry. Travelling a lot, meeting people, being in really out-of-your-comfort zone situations – that all builds towards your soul as a human being, and having soul is what you need to be an artist.”
His reason for auditioning for The X Factor was simple: “I wanted to reach people,” he states, “and the reality shows are fantastic for being able to reach a lot of people. I wanted my songs to be heard, and that was the best way for me to do it.”
In his first audition for The X Factor Australia, Ray sang Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes and displayed his diverse taste across his performances, although his love of blues rock is evident. He idolises Stevie Ray Vaughan and reveres Tommy Emmanuel, Eric Clapton and John Mayer as well as First Aid Kit, The Libertines and Robert Johnson.
Ray remains a little uneasy with the rock star label he was given on The X Factor. “90 per cent of the time, I am the writer and creator,” he says. “I hang out in little studios, write and rehearse, and the last 10 per cent are the live shows and that’s where this thing called ‘Dean Ray’ comes out and it’s a stage act. It’s a mixture of entertainer and me.”
For Ray, playing The Corner Hotel will be a defining achievement. “When I was kicking around the backstreets of Melbourne, that was the dream – to play The Corner Hotel,” he affirms. “After this tour I’ll go on another tour and then another tour and another tour until I’ve played to as many people as I can… Meanwhile, I’ll be writing in hotel rooms and recording on the way. I don’t have anything holding me down. I don’t have anyone in my life that I’m tied down to, so I don’t have any fixed address.
“The reason I play is so people at the shows might feel peace for a while,” he concludes. “There’s so much havoc, death, disease, financial stuff going on and I just want them to have two hours where they don’t have any of that crap. If I can do that then I’ll sleep well at night.”
BY CHRISTINE LAN
