Anyone remember the great Johnnie Ray?

He was extremely popular in the 1950s and had a worldwide following. He was a precursor to rock and roll stars like Elvis Presley. He suffered from deafness in his youth and became almost completely deaf after a failed operation (he could barely hear, in spite of the latest hearing aids). Ray had other health problems including tuberculosis for which he was hospitalized and he suffered much of his life from alcoholism which he couldn't overcome (he died of liver failure). He also struggled with his sexuality, getting arrested more than once for soliciting sex with men in gay bars which was illegal in the early 50s. He married the daughter of a prominent nightclub owner who wanted to try to "straighten him out" (a marriage that lasted only three years). Newspaper columnist Dorothy Kilgallan of "What's My Line?" fame was his longtime and closest friend and came to his defense during his trials for solicitation in which Ray was found "not guilty" (the jury apparently was comprised entirely of elderly ladies who adored him). My mom had several of his records in the early 50s when I was a little kid and I loved Johnnie Ray, like his hit "Just walkin' in the rain" and especially "The little white cloud that cried". If you've never heard him sing, I think it's the case that you'll find that no one could belt out a tune like Johnnie Ray. He had a special voice.

From 1951, The Little White Cloud That Cried: