Ray Hildebrand, Singer And Songwriter With Paul & Paula, Dies At 82
Ray Hildebrand, the “Paul” in ‘60s pop duo Paul & Paula, died Friday (Aug. 18) in Kansas City, Missouri, at the age of 82.
Hildebrand passed away “peacefully,” and was surrounded by his family, according to a statement from his publicist.
Born December 21, 1940, in Joshua, Texas, Hildebrand met his singing partner Jill Jackson (Paula) while attending Howard Payne College (now called Howard Payne University) in Brownwood the Lone Star State.
Though never romantically involved, Paul & Paula landed a string of songs on Billboard’s charts, together with “Young Lovers,” “First Quarrel,” “First Day Back at School,” and “Something Old, Something New,” and their best-known hit, the multi-million-seller from 1963 “Hey Paula,” which Hildebrand penned. The only logged three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 chart.
Mercury Information chief Shelby Singleton signed the pair, and reissued “Hey Paula” on its Phillips subsidiary. It was additionally Singleton who renamed the pair as Paul & Paula, apparently involved that an act named Ray and Jill singing about “hey, hey Paula” and “hey, hey Paul” was a bridge too far.
Paul & Paula launched two albums and a Christmas-themed set, earlier than disbanding in 1965, Hildebrand eager to finish his faculty Education and pursue a distinct musical route.
The pair would stay buddies, and infrequently reunited for particular gigs.
A religious Christian, Hildebrand’s post- Paul & Paula solo recordings have been largely a mirrored image of his religion. “Say I Do” is alleged to be a trailblazing file of the modern Christian style. Later, he would workforce up with Paul Land, performing Christian music below the identify of Land & Hildebrand.
Hildebrand traveled the nation sharing his music and religion, and labored with The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, reps say.
The late singer and songwriter is preceded in demise by his spouse, Judy Hendricks, and survived by his daughter, Heidi Sterling, and son Mike Hildebrand, each of Kansas Metropolis.
