We recently connected with Grant Ray and have shared our conversation below.

Grant, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Since I was young, most of the steps forward in my life involved, taking significant risk. Growing up in the circumstances in which I was forced to endure, reward often did not come without risk. Growing up in a household full of physical abuse, and violence, even saying the wrong word was a huge physical risk to me. My mother took a risk every time she said the wrong word to my stepfather as well. Once she finally got me and my brother out of the violent household, we were thrust into poverty and every dollar spent was a risk. So I’m very familiar with risk but when you have the kind of dreams that I did since the very start, you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get there and to reach your potential in life. When I started my independent music career at age 18 I had not a dollar to my name but a whole lot of vision. On my road to where I am today every project that I took on as an Indy music artist was a huge financial risk as I funded everything and was responsible for any losses which resulted from these huge financial investments into my music and career. With risk comes reward, but also comes failure so if you’re not willing to take on both, this is not the road for you. But it was for me. Through the years I met the right people and the wrong people , and made a lot of mistakes, but also had a lot of life-changing experiences in which led to one opportunity after the next and ultimately lead to an established career as the lead singer of a famous wedding band in Naples, Florida today

Grant, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I dived into the world of live entertainment in my 20s before being hired as a professional just simply going to karaoke events all across Miami, Florida, and showcasing my raw talent, often under extreme criticism and scrutiny by the public. I did not let the criticism deter me though, and was dedicated to improving my skills and fine-tuning my abilities. I would compete in karaoke competitions, often winning, but often experiencing depressing blows from such events as well. I would actually record my performances at a lot of the time at these karaoke venues I frequented as to listen for the issues that I needed to correct with my vocal abilities and to fine-tune my voice. In 2015 after competing on a local TV competition ultimate Miami voice my life took a big turn, and I was finally starting to be hired as a professional vocalist at venues across Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Through the years bookings increased and one opportunity led to another. While working as a professional musician I always made sure to keep a day job as the music business is a very fickle business. One month you can be making really good money. The next month you can be not doing well as an adult. You have to learn how to adapt. I worked as the lead singer of several bands across Florida as well as my solo work and experienced a lot of highs and lows with that work as well. In 2024 I was contacted by the owner of a famous wedding band in Naples, Florida with interest of me becoming the lead singer of the band. After a short audition, I was hired and began work to rehearse for the upcoming season with the wedding band. My life would change for the better as I join the band and completed my first season, performing all across Naples at luxury, weddings, and country clubs for wealthy clientele. Present day I have gained a good following in Naples and in addition to my work with the band I’m also a solo entertainer at various country clubs all across the area. To sum it up perseverance truly pays off when you’re relentless in your pursuit of success.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A big lesson that I have had to unlearn in my career is the impulse to accept any opportunity that comes your way because of fear of not receiving anymore opportunities. This is such a big one. I think a lot of industry professionals and Hopefuls do take on the hungry artist mindset and hit the ground wanting to please people and wanting to accept any opportunity in which comes their way, not understanding the value that they bring or the money that they should be charging for the quality of services provided . I spent years charging far below the market value for the services I provided as a professional vocalist and entertainer and in addition to affecting my financial stability, it also affected my reputation for years. I learned the hard way that people will not see your value until you charge according to your value. In the same vein with this comes those who will think that you were arrogant and conceited for the price that you charge for your service. Both of these conceptions come with the turf of you elevating your brand and increasing the fees for your services. Often times losing some opportunities leads to better opportunities. That has definitely been the case for me. I have had stretches of periods of time with no gigs where I had to rely on other sources of income. But after waiting I found the quality work that I hoped for and one opportunity led to another, which led to where I am today. Controlling your emotions is also a big part of being able to stay the course in this business. In business in general, you have to move not with emotion but with strategy and I am so glad that I finally realized it. It has changed my life and it is still changing my life.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My ultimate goal in my life is to prove that people like me who come from backgrounds like mine can reach goals in which many people view impossible and don’t think people like me are deserving of. I have been stereotyped and underestimated my entire life and have been proving people wrong since I was a kid. There is a feeling of satisfaction in which comes with people who doubted you, seeing your success and seeing you move beyond and far above naysayers. And that is one thing which continues to fuel me today in my journey and pursuit. I hope to be an inspiration for others like me and I have often hoped to become a beacon of hope for the underdogs as I was once was.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gking100.com
• Instagram: https://jnstagram.com/grantray100