Gary Ray & the Heartwells have recently been noted as one of the hardest working bands in the business. Touring with nothing more than their van, their music, and a vision as big as their sound, Gary & and the band currently tour over 200 dates a year. Gary Ray was born a musician to a military family in Lahnsthul, Germany in 1978. He grew up listening to his Dad write songs on the piano every night, just downstairs from his room as he went to sleep. Like most kids, he wanted to emulate his father and began learning the piano. But by age 12 Gary switched gears to the guitar and began writing his own songs, landing his first paying gig by age 15. On learning from his Dad, Gary recalls: ”I remember heading up to Nashville (from Atlanta) with my folks for a family vacation at Opry Land and discovering country music. I’ll never forget tagging along with my Dad while he dropped off demo tapes to Ronnie Milsap and The Oakridge Boys. Back then I was too young to understand what we were doing there. But I definitely had a surreal flashback when I recently found myself pitching my own songs on the same streets in Nashville.” Although his father never had huge success as songwriter, the love of music remains. Gary has definitely taken the inherited gift to the next level with his new band, Gary Ray & the Heartwells. The band is constantly receiving rave reviews and seeing their crowds increase in size with every tour stop along the way. He says of his new band: ”I am so blessed to have this new group of guys out on the road with me every night. They believe in me and what we’re doing and that’s saying a lot with where we are in the world today. Money is tight and the sacrifices are huge, but we have a blast every time we step foot on the stage! I am truly blessed.” Gary has had two releases since coming into his own sound. Gary Ray & the Heartwells are set to release the album, currently titled “Livin’ The Dream” in January 2010. The band is sure to make a huge splash with their new brand of country rock. The lyrical content on this record has something for everyone. Not only does he sing about lost love and everyday life, Gary sings about the trials of being a husband and father. In a recent interview, he notes how tough it is being on the road so much and everything that comes with it. ”I am lucky to have a great wife at home that supports me in all I try to do. It’s hard being gone, but I want to make a better life for my daughters and music is in my blood … I can’t stop until I reach to top”, he says with a smile and a confidence that reminds you that this guy knows where he is headed.