Ray Hildebrand (1960)
Singer / Composer
Class of 1960 | Inducted 1971
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Hailed from Joshua, TX, Ray Hildebrand attended Navarro Junior College on a basketball scholarship. He graduated in 1960.
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After Navarro, Ray attended Howard Payne University on a basketball scholarship.
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While at Howard Payne University, he met Jill Jackson and started Paul and Paula. Together they composed the song “Hey Paula” where it was number 1 for three weeks and on the charts for 15 weeks.
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He toured England, Canda, Japan, New Zealand, Hawaii, and the U.S. twice with Dick Clark.
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The record “Hey Paula” went Gold and Platinum and his 1963 album Young Lovers went Gold, over 500K albums sold.
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He later went on to release contemporary Christian albums, 1967’s He’s Everything to Me, 1971’s I Need You Every Hour, 1973 Special Kind of Man and 1976’s Welcome Warrior).
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Hildebrand has been honored by the Kansas Music Hall of Fame, the National FCA Hall of Fame, recognized by the Texas State Legislature and a marker at Howard Payne University by the Texas State Historical Commission for his contribution to music