Dave "Snaker" Ray
With a raw, growling voice and fierce guitar, he was the electric engine of a trio that rebooted acoustic blues for a 1960s counterculture audience.
1943–2002 (age 59)·American blues singer and guitarist·Birthday: August 17·The Silent Generation
Biography
Dave Ray didn't just play the blues; he attacked them with a visceral, unvarnished intensity that stood out in the early-60s folk revival. Hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, he teamed up with Spider John Koerner and Tony Glover, forming a trio that became a north-country answer to the blues rediscovery happening in New York. Ray was the group's powerhouse. His deep, gravelly baritone and driving National steel guitar provided a rugged, rhythmic foundation that was more Mississippi Delta than collegiate coffeehouse. Their 1963 album 'Blues, Rags and Hollers' was a revelation—a collection of pre-war blues styles delivered with a punkish, anarchic energy that influenced a generation of musicians, from Bob Dylan to The White Stripes. Ray's subsequent solo work and collaborations continued to explore the grittier edges of American roots music, cementing his legacy as a true believer in the blues' primal power.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Dave was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Died at 59
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential folk-blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover in the early 1960s.
- Their album 'Blues, Rags and Hollers' (1963) became a cult classic and a landmark of the folk revival.
- Maintained a prolific solo and collaborative recording career for over four decades.
- His distinctive bottleneck guitar style and powerful vocals were a major influence on the 1960s blues scene.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Snaker' reportedly came from his tall, slender build and sinuous movements.
He was a skilled luthier and built many of his own guitars and instruments.
He ran his own small record label, Sweet Jane Records, later in his career.
The trio's music was featured prominently in the 2013 Coen Brothers film 'Inside Llewyn Davis'.
“The blues ain't a museum piece; it's a living, breathing animal.”
