Ray Yeager is Billy Yeager's father and Bunny Yeager's brother. Throughout the 1960's Bunny, Ray and Billy made films together in South Florida at   a   Movie studio called Moberly Studios in Davie Florida.

   

Luke Moberly produced films such as  Little Laura & Big John with Karen Black.

Ray Yeager was a police officer for the Dania Police department in the 1960's and was also known as "The singing cop."

  He built a homemade guitar that was made from a dresser drawer and it featured a built in ashtray on the top of it and it could only be tuned with a pair of vice grip locking pliers.

 

Ray went to Nashville in the early 1960's and was seeking fame, fortune and to be discovered. He was discovered. He was in the elevator at MGM Studios and the president of the record company came in the elevator and asked Ray, " What the hell is that thing?" (Referring to the crudely made guitar) Instead of explaining, Ray picked up the guitar and started to play a song called "Country Boy". The lyrics told the story about a singer songwriter from the hills that made his guitar from a dresser drawer and was going to Nashville to be discovered.

Ray was signed immediately to a 5 year recording contract.

Ray went on to record several 45's with some of the top studio musicians in Nashville including the musician's who recorded with Elvis.

Ray appeared on national television and was chosen to be the next big star in country music by many predictions.   

Billy recalls; I remember going to school in the 4 th grade and people were telling me, "Hey your father is on the radio" they announced him on the radio before they played his song as a new artist. Then he was on the television show "To Tell the Truth". I remember him going into the 7/11 convenient store and buying a coffee and the guy working behind the counter giving it to him for free. I was thinking Wow how cool is this.   

Ray Yeager had 12 different managers. Everyone who saw Ray thought he was going to be the next big star. Against Bunny's request's Ray signed with all 12 of them not fully understanding that he would have legal problems. He never received much money because of that. He did however play The Grand Ole Opery and had short fleeting success.  

Ray became discouraged and went back to being a police officer. In 1993 he got throat cancer and they had to remove his larynx. It took Ray a while to be able to talk ( burp talking) requires breathing air in from the throat and talking with air coming out.

In 2003 the cancer spread to his lungs. Ray spent his last months and days filming interviews for Billy's documentary   "Jimmy's Story."   The film dealt with the subject of Ray and his son Billy and their relationship with music.

Billy; My father was always very discouraging about my trying to make it in music. He understood that first hand, I guess that it would break my heart. But the best thing he ever gave me was contributing to my film. He understood it, and we both knew the depth and potential of this powerful message of fame, money, humility music love and life.

My father and myself would always talk about the book of ecclesiastics. It was the writings and pondering of Solomon and how he wondered about the deep meaning of life.

This is what I wanted my film to be about which no one else seemed to understand.

Most editors felt that it was a comedy which it was, but it was so much more than that and so very deep underneath.

When I received the awards for Jimmy's Story at DIFFI received a standing ovation and I knew why. It was my father's words that were so powerful that I used at the ending of the film. He even looked like this biblical figure. He said he saw fame as something as being foolish, that when he was young he was so full of pride and had no humility. He talked about how God had been looking after him. He said he was at peace with himself and that chasing success was foolish. I miss him everyday but I know that he is still with me in spirit.

Ray and Billy the last day together.

Bunny, Billy and Ray Yeager at The Cinema Paradiso in Ft. Lauderdale at the
Premiere of Jimmy's Story. ( The only existing picture of all 3 together)