History Trivia / RayStevens

* BlackSheepHit: Although he was more known for his novelty songs, his biggest hit was the sensitive pop ballad "Everything Is Beautiful".

* TalkingToHimself: Quite common in his works:
** He voices the roles of the title character, along with his wife and pet monkey, in "Gitarzan".
** In "Bridget the Midget" he sings in his normal voice but also voices Bridget (whose voice is just his pitched up), the LoonyFan (his voice pitched down) and probably Strawberry & The Shortcakes (via overdubs).
** "The Streak" features Stevens as the news reporter and Ethel's husband.
** In "Moonlight Special", he voices parodies of Creator/WolfmanJack, Music/GladysKnight and the Pips, Music/AliceCooper, and Music/JerryLeeLewis.

** He voices the roles of the title character, along with his wife and [[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys pet monkey]], in "Gitarzan".

* HeAlsoDid: Besides being a recording artist he's also had a long run on the Nashville music scene, working as a producer, arranger, session musician, and owner of a recording studio. He produced some of Music/DollyParton's earliest work, and played trumpet (!) on a couple songs for Music/ElvisPresley.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: He's got a ton of them.
** "America, Communicate with Me", mentions the assassinations of [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy JFK]], RFK, and Martin Luther King, as well as the societal turmoils of the late 60s-early 70s. It even opens with snippets of interviews of contemporary protesters.
** "The Streak": Streaking is still done now and then because NakedPeopleAreFunny, but the craze was the most popular in the 1970s.
** "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex": The controversies surrounding televangelists in the late 80s, though present-day [[ScamReligion "Prosperity Gospel"]] preachers like Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn etc. show [[ValuesResonance this issue hasn't gone away]].
** "The People's Court": A 1986 parody of, well, ''Series/ThePeoplesCourt'', referencing original judge Joseph Wapner (who left the show in 1993).
** "Working for the Japanese": A mocking (and uncharacteristically vicious) look at [[JapanTakesOverTheWorld the invasion of Japanese-made products in America]] in TheNineties.
** "Osama — Yo' Mama": Obviously, a post-9/11 mockery of you-know-who.
** His more politically charged music released in TheNewTens are beginning to suffer from this, particularly the ones targeted at the UsefulNotes/BarackObama administration.

* ProductionPosse: Since TheEighties, many of his songs have been written or co-written by C. W. Kalb Jr., who also cameos in many of the videos.

** He voices both himself and the title character in "Bridget the Midget" (whose voice is just his pitched up).

** "The Streak" features Stevens as the news reporter and Ethel's husband.

** Stevens plays a police officer and Willard in "It's Me Again, Margaret."

** "The Streak": Streaking is still done now and then, but the craze was the most popular in the 1970s.

** "Working for the Japanese": A mocking (and uncharacteristically vicious) look at the invasion of Japanese-made products in America in TheNineties.

** His more politically charged music released in TheNewTens are beginning to suffer from this.

** "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex": The controversies surrounding televangelists in the late 80s, though present-day [[CorruptChurch "Prosperity Gospel"]] preachers like Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn etc. show [[ValuesResonance this issue hasn't gone away]].

** "Would Jesus Wear a Rolex": The controversies surrounding televangelists in the late 80s.

* FollowUpFailure: Both of his #1 hits on the Hot 100 were followed by duds. "Everything Is Beautiful" was succeeded by two more serious songs ("America, Communicate with Me" and "Sunset Strip") which both bombed, as did the novelty "Bridget the Midget" and a string of gospel songs. He stopped charting entirely for a time, but then came back with "The Streak"... whose followup, "The Moonlight Special", stalled at #73.

* MissingEpisode: A 2000 album titled ''Ear Candy'' was apparently never released, but most of its songs appeared on ''Osama-- Yo' Mama: The Album'' one year later.

* MissingEpisode: A 2000 album titled ''Ear Candy'' was apparently never released, but most of its songs later appeared on ''Osama-- Yo' Mama''.
* NoHitWonder: At least from the 1980s onward, he managed to stay on major labels and keep his name out there, despite little to no chart success.

** "America, Communicate with Me", as mentioned above, mentions the assassinations of [[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy JFK]], RFK, and Martin Luther King, as well as the societal turmoils of the late 60s-early 70s.

* PlayingAgainstType: While Stevens is best known as a novelty artist, he has shown he can be a fine balladeer and quite a fine singer of both mainstream contemporary pop and gospel. A prime example was the 1975 album ''Misty'', which was covers of ballads from the 1920s to late 1950s, of which the title track was a top 5 country and adult contemporary smash and top 15 pop hit. "Everything is Beautiful," from 1970, was a plea of tolerance and unity, while he has also covered many gospel and contemporary Christian songs through the years.

* NoHitWonder: At least from the 1980s onward, he managed to stay on major labels and keep his name out there, despite little to no chart success.

* HitlessHitAlbum: ''I Have Returned'' managed to go gold (in an era where that was rare for a country album) despite its best single only reaching #45. ''Crackin' Up!'' was also a hot seller despite not producing a top 40 hit, either.

* BlackSheepHit: Although he was more known for his novelty songs, his biggest hit was the sensitive pop ballad "Everything Is Beautiful".