Gray was born in
Jamaica on 5 July 1939. He won his first talent contest at the age of nine, and by the age of 12 he was already appearing in public, playing drums, guitar, and keyboards. He was the first singer (of many) to praise a
sound system on record, with his "On the Beach" celebrating
Clement Dodd's 'Sir Coxsone Downbeat' system in 1959, one of the first releases on Dodd's
Studio One label. Gray's first single, "Please Let Me Go", reached the top of the charts in Jamaica, and featured a guitar solo from Australian musician Dennis Sindrey who was a member of The Caribs, a studio band that played on many early Owen Gray recordings. The single also sold well in the United Kingdom, as did subsequent releases, prompting Gray to emigrate there in May 1962. Morrison and Edwards comprised the
Ram & Tam duo who had a hit with "
Will You Love Me Tomorrow". Gray spent a short time living in
New Orleans before returning to Jamaica where he turned his hand to
roots reggae, working with producer
Bunny Lee, and achieving considerable success. In the 1980s relocated to Miami. He continued to release new material regularly, often concentrating on ballads and
gospel music. Gray died on 20 July 2025, at the age of 86. ==Discography==