Ray Owen died on October 31, 2018 from bone cancer and complications from it, aged 71.
Ray Owen (July 14, 1947 – October 31, 2018) lived in London and first play in a band at a hospital where he worked. He was heard by a producer who put him with The Misunderstood, who were an American psychedelic rock band originating from Riverside, California in the mid-1960s. The band moved to London early in their career, and although they recorded only a handful of songs before being forced to disband, they are considered highly influential in the then-emerging genre.
Juicy Lucy was a British blues rock band officially formed on October 1, 1969. After the demise of The Misunderstood, and was formed by steel guitarist Glenn Ross Campbell and saxophonist Chris Mercer. The group later recruited Ray Owen as vocalist, guitarist Neil Hubbard, bassist Keith Ellis, and drummer Pete Dobson.
The band name was inspired by a character in The Virgin Soldiers by Leslie Thomas, which was a comic novel in 1966 and turned into a film in 1969.
The band immediately notched a UK Top 20 hit with their cover version of the Bo Diddley composition “Who Do You Love?”. Their eponymous debut album then fell just shy of the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart.
Line-up changes ensued, as former Zoot Money singer Paul Williams (born Paul William Yarlett, 1940), guitarist Micky Moody, and drummer Rod Coombes replaced Ray Owen (who joined Killing Floor).
Killing Floor were a British blues rock band, who formed in London, England in 1968 with founder members Mick Clarke (lead guitar) and Bill Thorndycraft (vocals/harmonica), after placing an advertisement in Melody Maker they recruited Lou Martin (piano), Stuart McDonald (bass guitar) and Bazz Smith (drums). In 1970 and 1971, further line-up changes took place which included the former Juicy Lucy vocalist Ray Owen, drummer Rod de’Ath, and bassist Mick Hawksworth, joining the band. They released two albums and four singles before initially disbanding in 1972. The band name came from the title of Howlin’ Wolf’s 1964 track, “Killing Floor”.
Ray Owen went on to form Moon (Moon being the title of his 1971 solo album), played the Isle of White festival, the Festival of the Midnite Sun in Sweden and played on most of the big stages in England.
In 1995, Ray Owen resurrected the Juicy Lucy name and recorded the album “Here She Comes Again”. The line-up for this recording also included Mike Jarvis (guitar), Andy Doughty (bass), and Spencer Blackledge (drums). This version of the band broke up in 1997, but Owen persevered and joined up with guitarist Steve ‘Mr Fish’ Fishwick. Although legal problems would not allow them usage of the name Juicy Lucy, the outfit performed as Ray Owen’s Moon
In 2004, bassist Colin Fudge and drummer Paul Fletcher joined the band, after the legal situation had been resolved. This version of Juicy Lucy released the album “Do That and You’ll Lose It” in 2006 and toured the UK with Nazareth. They played at the Cambridge Rock Festival in 2008.
In 2009, a new line-up of Juicy Lucy was formed as, due to health problems, Ray Owen was unable to continue touring on a regular basis. The band was then fronted by singer/guitarist Steve ‘Mr Fish’ Fishwick, with Paul Fletcher on drums and James Morris on bass, and this line-up continued to tour throughout the UK. In September 2012, Frank Cokayne (on bass guitar) joined Fishwick and Fletcher in the UK-based version of the band. The songs “Mississippi Woman” and “Who Do You Love?” (from the band’s first album) were regularly performed live by this trio, until they parted ways in 2018.
Ray Owen occasionally played live in France under the moniker “Ray Owen’s Juicy Lucy”, accompanied by Mike Jarvis and Spencer Blackledge from the 1990s incarnation of the band, and latterly with Sylvain Galesso on drums and Rosie Woodland on bass guitar. He also performed solo acoustic sets around the UK, including regular engagements at the Lewes Con Club, and played right up to his passing as Ray Owen’s Juicy Lucy.
Mick Clarke from Killing Floor said:
“Towards the end of Killing Floor’s life (first incarnation) we used to play regularly at a place called the Cafe Des Artists.. somebody, possibly Lou, rechristened it the Cafe Disaster. Anyway it was a lively place in Earls Court, as far as I remember. They didn’t sell alcohol there so we would always go to the pub first to get in the mood, and sometimes take a bottle of something along to the gig. In fact I can only ever remember being completely legless during those gigs, to the point where I remember crawling underneath the piano one night to get on stage. Whether it was actually necessary as a way of getting on stage I couldn’t tell you.
During those gigs we would often be joined on stage by a charismatic figure closely resembling Jimi Hendrix, who would belt out a version of, I think, “Rock Me Baby” or something similar. Ray was already known to us as he had been a member of the band Juicy Lucy, and had had a hit record with a fine version of “Who Do You Love”. He had a strong, powerful voice and an imposing stage presence.
Later, when Killing Floor was looking for a new singer we thought of Ray. He fitted in immediately, and turned out to be a surprisingly self effacing character with a lively sense of humour. He was usually to be found rolling yet another joint whilst giggling to himself and muttering “what a state..”. I’ll always remember a long road trip to Cornwall or somewhere, with Ray sitting in the back of the bus sticking little self adhesive stars all over his Flying V guitar. Between stoned giggles I remember him adopting a northern accent.. “I’d rather have my lad sticking stars on ‘guitar than out causing trouble”.. back to the stoned giggles.
The Flying V was actually a bone of contention, as Ray had joined the band as a singer, but over a period was playing more and more guitar which caused a little friction with the lead guitarist. Ray actually did tell us that he was somehow a reincarnation of the late Jimi H who had come to him in a dream. He also had strong theories that he was actually from a planet called Venusia, so conversations with Ray could become slightly fanciful. And yet he also was so down to earth, and would take us in to visit his white foster parents in their terraced house in Tooting, with the mynah bird squawking in the corner.
Onstage Ray was a powerful presence who always held the audience’s attention. Over a period we learned some of his original songs, and the band adopted a looser jamming style which was a good departure from the more structured material which we had started with a few years earlier. We played some great gigs, but to be honest I was too stoned to remember much of it.. it was the early 70s.. that’s how it was.
I never saw Ray Owen again after the Killing Floor days but he continued to work with his own band Moon and a new version of Juicy Lucy, still performing up to the time of his death. A great talent and remarkable personality. As it was put to me “the Captain’s on his way back to Venusia”.. have a good trip Ray.”
Ray Owen died on October 31, 2018 from bone cancer and complications from it, aged 71.
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