Singer Songwriter mr. RAY Has Been Performing Kids Music That Rocks for 30 Years

Bruce. Whitney. Ice-T. Halsey. And Old Blue Eyes. Frank. New Jersey has its share of single-named music icons, no question. But for the past 30 years, kids and their parents have watched a guy with two names rocket to legendary status in the state. mr. RAY!

That’s how Ray Andersen—a singer/songwriter and multi-talented musician who’s played with likes of Meat Loaf, Matchbox Twenty, and Bruce Springsteen—is known to legions of pint-sized fans. It’s a moniker he wears proudly, ever since he picked up his signature stickered acoustic guitar and played his first show for preschoolers at Kiddie Academy in North Brunswick three decades ago.

A devoted Beatles fan, that day he played “Yellow Submarine” and some classics like “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” but within days Andersen said he was writing his own material. “Literally that week I came up with Roy G Biv,” Andersen said. “I’ve always considered myself a writer first. I said to myself, if I’m going to do this, I want to be artistic about it. I want
to throw my soul into this. I took it very seriously.”

The feedback from teachers after unveiling his first original tune for kids was very positive. “Teachers said they couldn’t get the song out of their heads.” Andersen said he wanted to build on that initial success by writing songs that both kids and their parents could enjoy while challenging himself musically. “I never dumbed down my songs,” he said. The formula worked. From there, Andersen went on to write more infectious tunes, enough to put out a cassette (the media of choice in 1994) and later on, a debut CD entitled “Start Dreaming.” He peppers his songs with color, and characters, weaving in kindness, love, and acceptance. There’s “Roy G Biv,” of course, “Ellie Elephant,” “George the Groovy Giraffe,” “Zibby the Zebra,” “Kalien the Alien,” and songs that teach like “The Days of the Week,” “The Number Song,” and “Look at all
the Shapes.”

Since his early days at Kiddie Academy, Andersen has gone on to play thousands of mr. RAY shows at schools, theaters, parties, and private events. Music streams of his songs on platforms like Spotify are over 30 million every year with a discography that includes the albums “No Room for Bullies,” “Family Ride,” “The Classroom Collection,” “Songs from the Kids’ Lounge,” and “Welcome to the Music Room.” In May 2024 he debuted two new singles, “My Teacher,” a tune written from a kid’s point of view paying homage to one of the toughest jobs in the world, and a companion song, “Good Listener.”

Before writing and performing for kids, Andersen was known for playing with the Asbury Park-based “Cats on A Smooth Surface,” the house band at the Stone Pony. In the 90s, Andersen toured Europe with his own original band, Blue Van Gogh, opening nightly for Matchbox Twenty. He’s also played an entire set with the “The Father of Rock & Roll” Chuck Berry, and as a keyboardist, guitarist, and backup singer for the late, legendary Meat Loaf, Andersen appeared on the David Letterman Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Top of The Pops, and VH1’s Storytellers. He continues to play live music for adults as an acoustic act and with Bowie & Beyond, a tribute show he founded.

But playing “kids music that rocks and inspires” is the legacy that endures. It’s no wonder that in January 2020, Andersen was asked to be an official United Nations NGO (non-governmental organization) Representative of Pathways to Peace because of his musical work and messages of kindness, anti-bullying, diversity, and inclusion, with respect to children. “I am deeply honored to represent this amazing organization,” Andersen said.

On Saturday, Oct. 19 at noon, Andersen will be performing with a full band at his 30th Anniversary Celebration Concert at the Bickford Theater in the Morris Museum (6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown). “I knew last year this anniversary was coming up. I really just wanted to see families come and enjoy themselves. It’s like throwing a birthday party,” Andersen said. “I really don’t perform often with a band anymore, so I thought it would be a good chance for people to see me with other performers and musicians onstage, to create an experience for people.”

The band includes David Anthony on drums, Ken Sidotti on Keyboards, and bassist, Mike Doktorski. Kalien the Alien will take a break from the musical inspired by his name and make a special appearance. “Outta This World: The Adventures of Kalien the Alien,” which was composed by Andersen, is being performed by Pushcart Players in theaters and schools
nationally. Teen singers and several child musicians including an eight-year-old girl drummer will also join the band on stage. “To inspire the kids in the audience and the next generation,” Andersen says.

Inspiring the next generation is something Andersen has done from the start. Susan Miller says she remembers the day her daughter Cecilia came home from Kiddie Academy so excited to report that mr. RAY had visited her classroom that day and asked her to sing with him. “She was either three or four,” Miller recalls. “She’s 33 now.” A mr. RAY show always includes an “open mic” session when kids from the audience are asked to join him on stage and sing. But Andersen
also included kid singers in his stage show. Cecilia Miller went on to be one of those regulars.

“Cecilia sang as a Space Cadet for mr. RAY for many years. Once she aged out of being a Space Cadet, she wore both the Kalien the Alien costume and the George the Groovy Giraffe, and danced around the stage and had a blast.” Despite meaning so much to so many people over the years, Andersen stays humble. “I’m not famous, I just gig a lot.” Not surprisingly, Andersen says he’s heard from some all-grown-up fans who remember seeing him when they were kids and plan on attending the show at the Bickford Theater to relive some magical memories. “That’s the power of music. I’m so blessed.”

For tickets to mr. RAY 30th Anniversary Celebration Concert at the Bickford Theater in the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Rd., Morristown, visit morrismuseum.org.

Jennifer Salvato Doktorski received a 2024 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. A proud mom and Jersey Girl, she is the author of five young adult novels who, along with her family, lives in Central NJ and spends summers down the Shore. Learn more at jendoktorski.com.