Ray Pennington
Musician · 1933–2020 · Clay County, Kentucky
Best known for
Songwriter
Ray Pennington was a Kentucky-born country songwriter, producer, and label owner whose “I’m a Ramblin’ Man” became a Waylon Jennings No. 1 in 1974 and a cornerstone of the outlaw-country songbook. After two decades inside the Nashville system at Pamper Music and RCA, he co-founded Step One Records in 1984, where his first signing was Ray Price.
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- Born Ramon Daniel Pennington on December 22, 1933, in Clay County, Kentucky.
- Got his professional start in Ohio with a western-swing group called the Western Rhythm Boys.
- Signed to King Records in 1958, releasing “Three Hearts in a Tangle” under the name Ray Starr.
- Moved to Nashville in 1964 to work at Pamper Music, producing for Tex Williams and Kenny Price.
- Signed to Capitol Records as an artist in 1966, charting three sides, including his own original “I’m a Ramblin’ Man,” which reached No. 29 on the country chart.
- Waylon Jennings covered “I’m a Ramblin’ Man” on his 1974 RCA album of the same name; the single went to No. 1.
- Continued producing at RCA for Billy Walker, Norma Jean, and others.
- Co-founded the independent Step One Records in 1984, signing Ray Price as the label’s first artist; Step One operated until 1998.
- Died October 7, 2020, in a house fire at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, at age 86.
