Ray Coker was a Featured DeeJay on the AtlantaSwingClassic .com

Ray Coker - Houston, Texas

Raised in Knoxville , Tennessee in the shadows of Neyland Stadium, home of the Tennessee Volunteers, Ray became obsessed with sports… nevertheless, he was able to learn to play violin, trombone and trumpet. This was all done while playing football, basketball, baseball and running track. Whew! 

In the early to mid-60s and while attending the University of Tennessee , Ray played with a top notch Rock & Roll Band, the Pyramids. On occasion, the band backed such noted entertainers as Ike and Tina Turner and the Drifters and was the number one band for the fraternity and sorority circuit throughout the state of Tennessee. They once passed up an opportunity to add Dolly Parton to the band as a singer. Ask him about that story!  

His interest in DJing came quite by accident…as dance director for the Bay Area Whip Dance Club in the Houston area; dancers started looking to Ray for dance music.  As an avid collector of music (owning well over 2000 CDs at that time) it was not hard for him to make the transition.  The dance club purchased DJ equipment in the early 90s and Ray used that until the bug really hit in the latter part of ’97.  He purchased his first DJ equipment from a retiring Warren Jenny (a Hall Of Famer in his own right) and the rest is history.  

Ray is known locally as the Dancing DJ, and is currently Dance Director for the Bay Area Whip Dance Club of Houston, TX.   Vice President - National Association of Rhythm and Blues Dee Jays.  Vice President – National Fast Dance Association and Moderator for allswing DJs.  Ray is a 2000 inductee into the National Boppers Hall of Fame and most recently was inducted into the National Living Legends of Dance in Virginia Beach. Ray will be receiving an award at the Grand National Dance Championships for 2006 Allswing DJ of the year.  

Dance events to his credit:  Mario Robau’s Southwest Whip Club Novice Invitational; Dance Houston Championships; Texas State Dance Championships; Southwest Regional Dance Association and Dallas Dance; Back To The Beach, in Jacksonville, FL; New Orleans Swing Dance Extravaganza; Smoky Mountain Boogie in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN; Bop On The Lake in Hot Springs, AK; and Tropical New Years Eve, Orlando, FL; Most recently DJed the Michigan Classic and Nashville Classic.  Like most DJs, he enjoys working “late night”.  Ray’s strength, however, is selection of music for competitions.  

He has provided artistic consultation to Don Wise for his latest CD, “Swingin’ Up A Storm”; “Let’s Dance USA” volumes 1 & 2 and is currently working on “Lets Dance USA” Volume 3 and consulting with Johnny Williams on his upcoming CD, “Vol. 2”.

Ray regularly works as DJ and Emcee for weddings, receptions, private parties and fundraisers. In addition to the above, his favorite is to DJ are dance events plus, he works very reasonably for his dance club in Houston, TX.