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Combined with his seasoned voice and adept guitar and harmonica skills is an honesty that you can hear in his songs and feel in his presence. After catching his performance, you'll know why Ted Wray is one of Tampa Bay's busiest musicians.
From the Best of the Bay 2002 issue of the Weekly Planet:
BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER
Ted Wray
Some musician's question their own artistic integrity when covering someone else's songs. Not Ted Wray: "Number one, I'm getting paid to practice. Number two — I don't have a day job." Well put, Ted. And if your cover songs continue to sound this good, we're not gonna question your integrity or logic. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Ted Wray is like the Pied Piper of the local pub scene; his loyal fans follow him around from place to place, enchanted by his skillful fingerpicking, his impressive vocal range and, yes, even his dazzlingly white smile. Mostly self-taught, Wray has been plying his musical trade in the Bay area for five years now, becoming a regular at places like Limey's Pub, Margarita Mama's, Centro Ybor and BayWalk. Whether belting out spot-on versions of everything from Neil Young to Beatles covers, or treating his followers to a crowd-pleasing original (you'll hear lots of shouts for "Sweet Tooth" at his shows), Wray is always a gracious and highly entertaining host. Feel free to sing along, and don't worry, we've got Wray's promise: "You won't hear any Buffett and you won't hear any Hootie." Thanks, Ted. We appreciate that.
In under 3 years, Ted Wray has established himself as one of Tampa Bay's premiere entertainers. He has appeared on the main stages of BayWalk and Centro Ybor more than any other artist, and every year performs at dozens of weddings and private and corporate parties. Here is just a sampling of Ted's clientele:
Seminole Hard Rock Casino
Ritz Carlton Beach Club, Sarasota
Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Devil Ray's
Pepin Distributing (several corporate and public events including Holiday parties
Budweiser (nine performances at the Florida State Fair 2001)
Carona (six performances at the Florida State Fair 2002)
BayWalk (appers regularly)
Centro Ybor (every Sunday afternoon, some exceptions)
Eckerd College, St. Petersburg (special events)
The Poynter Institute (Holiday party)
Xerox Corporation (corporate celebrations)
Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union (corporate celebration)
Starship Cruise Dinner Cruise, Tampa (corporate celebration)
St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading (1999 and 2000)
Art Arbor Festival, St. Petersburg (1999 and 2000)
Whiskey Joe's, Tampa (appears occasionally)
Margarita Mama’s, Tampa (appears occasionally)
Limey's Pub, St. Petersburg (every Wednesday)
Holiday Inn Sun Spree, St. Petersburg (appears occasionally)
Bilmar Beach Resort, Treasure Island (every Monday)
Tradewinds Sirata, St. Pete Beach (appears frequently)
Moon Under Water, St. Petersburg (appears occasionally)
Molly Goodhead's, Ozona (appears frequently)
State Theatre, St. Petersburg (appears occasionally)
Largo Cultural Center's Celebrate America Festival 2002
Crabby Bill's throughout Tampa Bay (appears occasionally)
The New Tampa Oyster Bar, Tampa (appears occasionally)
Tarpon Springs Cultural Center (special event)
Randy's Limosines (Holiday party)
Countryside Country Club (Special events)
and many, many others,
With no sequencing (pre-recorded, canned music) and no Jimmy Buffett in his repertoire, Ted Wray is a refreshing departure from typical Florida beach bar singers. He sings relevant songs from most eras and genres from the 1950's through today.
He's also an experienced, amiable host. Ted has hosted many very successful open mic nights and artist showcases throughout the St. Petersburg area. |
