Gifted Stourbridge musician who performed with stars of the 60s dies aged 68

Ray Deville as a teenager in the swinging sixties.

 

A popular Stourbridge musician who played with teen singing sensation Millie and shared the stage with acts including The Kinks and the Rolling Stones during the swinging 60s has died at the age of 68.

Ray Deville toured as organ and harmonica player with Jamaican teenager Billie Small of My Boy Lollipop fame.
The father of three, who grew up in London before moving to Stourbridge in 1972, died in Russells Hall Hospital on Thursday May 9 after suffering a stroke.
As part of Billie’s backing band The Five Embers Ray went on a series of tours as My Boy Lollipop became a massive hit, reaching number two in the UK singles chart and the U.S Billboard Hot 100.
Millie and The Five Embers shared the stage with famous acts including The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, The Dave Clark Five, The Hollies and Lulu.
Despite this Ray’s family said his proudest moment was at a 1964 Granada Television special where he played the organ in backing band for one of his all time heroes Jerry Lee Lewis.
Daughter Sarah Aston said the grandfather of six remained humble about his success.
She said: “He never made a big thing about it.
“I knew about it, but didn’t think it was a big deal at the time - to him it was just matter of fact.”
Ray also played in Hamburg in the early 60s with a band called Brian Bentley and the Kingsmen at the same time as the Beatles before they became famous.
He recounted on one occasion how the band’s drummer stood in for Ringo who was too drunk to perform.
After The Five Embers split and Billie went her own way Ray played with other bands on the London scene including The All Night Workers, but failed to repeat his earlier success.
In the early 70s when Ray was a rep for Cadburys the family moved to Larkhill Road, Stourbridge.
Later Ray took a job with Severn Trent Water and lived in Clent View Road with his second wife Judith.
Music remained a major part of his life and until two years ago when ill health forced him to stop playing, he was a well known and popular act on the pub and club circuit.
Sarah said: “He was very gifted.
“Music was his passion, what he lived for.”
The funeral will be at Stourbridge Crematorium on Wednesday May 22, at 1.30pm.

Source: http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk