Edward Ray Sharpe, born on February 8, 1938 in Fort Worth, Texas, is an American singer and guitarist. Growing up, Sharpe was influenced by both country and blues music, learning guitar through the inspiration of Chuck Berry's records. In 1956, he formed his own trio, Ray Sharpe and the Blues Whalers, with Raydell Reese on piano and Cornelius Bell on drums, gaining popularity in Fort Worth clubs. Sharpe's recording career began in April 1958 when Lee Hazlewood produced his first single "That's the Way I Feel" / "Oh, My Baby's Gone". His breakthrough came with the release of "Linda Lu" / "Monkey's Uncle", recorded in May 1959 and produced by Hazlewood. This single reached number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year. Following its success, Sharpe appeared on American Bandstand and toured with a Dick Clark rock and roll package featuring LaVern Baker, Duane Eddy, and The Coasters. "Linda Lu" has since been covered by numerous artists including The Rolling Stones, The Kingsmen, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, Flying Burrito Brothers, and Tom Jones. Subsequent single releases on various labels, including Hazlewood's Trey label, were less successful but included recordings made in 1966 with King Curtis featuring Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Sharpe has continued to release records and perform regularly in the Fort Worth area.
