Born in a log cabin just outside Collins, Mississippi, Ray MaGee grew into one of the state’s most beloved gospel voices. His warm, mellow singing style has long drawn comparisons to two giants of the genre Rev. Cleophus Robinson and Brother Joe May, gospel giants who would later become his mentors and champions.

 

Ray’s gift emerged early. By the age of five, he was known throughout local churches as “Little Ray,” the child whose voice could quiet a room and lift a congregation. Worshippers were so moved that they would raise their hands holding pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters toward him, urging, “Stay with the gospel. Stay in church. Keep on singing.” Ray took their encouragement to heart and never turned away.

 

At six, his musical world widened. His talent at the keyboard was discovered, and his parents allowed him to live in Heidelberg, Mississippi, where he studied under a blind musician, Brother James Bradford. That same year, Ray stepped into the world of broadcasting. Rev. Nathan Wheeler, the first and only African American in the South to present a weekly gospel radio and television program was captivated by the young singer and made him a regular on The Voice of Goodwill.  Soon, “Little Ray” became the program’s star attraction, drawing an audience second only to the evening news.

 

The ninth of ten children, Ray returned home at thirteen to help his father farm after his older siblings left. Farming made school attendance difficult, but Ray was determined to finish high school, a goal none of his siblings had reached. His teachers recognized his extraordinary talent and entered him into every contest they could. In the New Farmers of America club, Ray won first place at the local, district, state, and national levels. His achievements brought honor to Carver Central High School and earned him the title “The Gentleman of Gospel Songs.” At twenty‑one, the oldest student on campus, Ray proudly graduated, a milestone he still treasures.

 

In the early 1960s, Brother Joe May visited Hattiesburg and heard Ray sing. Deeply moved, he told the audience, “If you all will bring twenty‑five dollars to this stage, tomorrow I will take this young man to the studio and record his voice.” The crowd responded immediately. Ray’s first recordings, “Just Keep Still” and “The Way I Do,” were released on a 45 rpm, and Brother May soon took him on the road, allowing Ray to sing and play keyboard for Bro May during performances.

 

Later in the decade, Rev. Cleophus Robinson heard Ray sing in Jackson and arranged for him to record another 45 rpm and, six months later, his first album. When Ray’s songs aired, listeners often mistook his voice for Rev. Robinson’s, calling stations to request “that Cleophus Robinson song,” not realizing it was Ray MaGee. Even today, many say the two voices are nearly indistinguishable.

 

Ray’s excellence continued to shine. In Mississippi’s version of the Grammy Awards for Soul Gospel Music, he earned Male Gospel Soloist of the Year for five consecutive years 1983 through 1987 and again from 1999 through 2003.

 

Joe Ligon of The Mighty Clouds of Joy recalled meeting Ray in Port Gibson:

“From the moment Ray stepped to the microphone until the last ‘amen,’ his audience was overwhelmed. He brought his message with the originality and quality of a seasoned gospel ambassador.”

 

Ray later toured with former R&B singer turned gospel preacher Joe Simon, who said, “Ray is a great singer…our service becomes spiritual when he sings.”

 

One of Ray’s most unforgettable moments came in 1966 at DuSable High School in Chicago. While waiting for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose plane was delayed, the master of ceremonies asked, "Is there anyone in the audience from Mississippi that can sing?" Ray’s mother jumped up, shouting “Yes!” and brought him forward. Nervous, Ray attempted Mahalia Jackson’s signature song, “Move On Up a Little Higher,” and struggled until Mahalia Jackson herself approached the microphone, wrapped her arm around him, and guided him through the song. The following week, she invited Ray to her home and tutored him through a summer "make-up" algebra course.

 

Today, Ray MaGee continues his legacy as host of The Voice of Goodwill, the oldest and longest‑running African American gospel television program in America broadcast weekly for more than seventy years.