Collin Raye

Ask about Collin Raye and his music and those who represent him will tell you about his five Platinum Albums, fifteen #1 hits and twenty-four top 10's. And they'll also let you know that he is one of the best vocalists and live entertainers around and cite his five nominations as Country Music's Male Vocalist of the year. In the past few years, Collin, while still retaining his love of country music, has added new genres to his recordings and shows. Few artists are lucky enough to have a career that keeps going in new directions. But Collin Raye is one of the lucky few to sustain not only a full and viable career, but also one who keeps garnering new fans and audiences with each new project.

"In the beginning, I wanted hits and all that," he reflects. "But what drives me now is what this music means to people. Songs have landed on me that made me realize there's more to this than I thought. It's about entertaining people one minute and inspiring them the next. That's what gets me on that tour bus every week. That's what keeps me interested in making records."

And Collin loves giving back. Emblematic of Collin's spirit of giving of himself is the annual three-day festival that he has sponsored and appeared at for the past eight years in his hometown of DeQueen, Arkansas. Dubbed "Collinfest", over $300,000 in proceeds have been used to send 24 students to the local college as well as fund various improvements to the Chamber of Commerce, DeQueen High School & Elementary School, DeQueen Medical Center, DeQueen Fire Department, the local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Humane Society, and on and on. This year's event will take place June 18-20, 2008 and has been increased in size and scope to raise even more money and awareness for charities.

And Collin loves giving back. Emblematic of Collin's spirit of giving of himself is the annual three-day festival that he has sponsored and appeared at for the past eight years in his hometown of DeQueen, Arkansas. Dubbed "Collinfest", over $300,000 in proceeds have been used to send 24 students to the local college as well as fund various improvements to the Chamber of Commerce, DeQueen High School & Elementary School, DeQueen Medical Center, DeQueen Fire Department, the local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Humane Society, and on and on. This year's event will take place June 18-20, 2008 and has been increased in size and scope to raise even more money and awareness for charities.

Raye is known for his meaningful songs. "Little Rock" was an anthem for the recovery community. "Not That Different" pleaded for tolerance. "In This Life" became a wedding favorite. He won awards for the child-advocacy video "The Eleventh Commandment". He has consistently used his stardom to advance social causes. Among the organizations he has supported are Boys Town, First Steps, Al-Anon, Special Olympics, Country Cares About Aids, Catholic Relief Services, Parade of Pennies, Vadnerbilt Children's Hospital, The Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence, The Emily Harrison Foundation, Childhelp USA, Silent Witness National Initiative, Easter Seals and Make A Difference Day.

In the past year alone, Collin has donated the proceeds of his hit "A Soldier's Prayer" to the Wounded Warrior Project and his song and video of "Quitters" is aiding the Special Olympics. Last summer he appeared at the "Home for a Hero" benefit for wounded Nashville veteran Sgt. Kevin Downs; in fall Senator Orrin Hatch requested that Collin headline a show to aide the survivors of Utah's Crandall Canyon coal mine tragedy; last Christmas Collin starred in "Carols by Candlelight" for the Make a Wish Foundation. And this April Collin's giving gave back to him when he got to meet his hero, Muhammad Al, when he performed over two evenings for the Champ's "Celebrity Fight Night" benefit in Phoenix, Arizona.

But perhaps the cause closest to Collin's heart is "Hailey's Helpers" named after his granddaughter Hailey who is afflicted with a rare degenerative brain disorder. Collin has worked tirelessly to help find a cure for Hailey. To help other families who are faced with dealing with similar overwhelming burdens, Collin formed "Hailey's Helpers". He says "I know personally the strain on both emotions and finances that dealing with this kind of difficult situation creates and I want to be able to support people who find themselves in similar circumstances."

But of course anyone who has attended a Collin Raye concert or listened to any of his albums knows that music is, above all, a source of joy for both Collin and his listeners. And fun is not forgotten.