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hampton — community members will join legendary new hampshire band the spectras on stage this saturday to rock out hampton in honor of the late dick ray, a beloved seacoast resident, musician, teacher and friend.
ray, 66, a founding member of the spectras, succumbed to terminal cancer on feb. 19. local residents have since been mourning his loss, as hundreds of social media posts have surfaced over the past week to honor some of the many immeasurable and deeply personal ways ray impacted the community.
ray's son, thom, said he, the spectras and many others will look to capture that lasting legacy in a special tribute and public celebration of ray's life at 1 p.m. saturday in the winnacunnet high school auditorium.
"he was my hero," said thom ray, who said his family is "hanging in there."
richard harrison ray was born on may 5, 1947, in mineola, n.y., later moving to topsfield, mass., where he attended high school. the avid musician and athlete brought his talents to the university of new hampshire in the 1960s, which is where the rocking foundation was laid for one of the granite state's most popular bands.
what started out in dorm rooms and laundry rooms turned into a half century of music and memories for ray and the other founding members of the spectras, which served as a house band at the hampton beach casino ballroom and opened for the beach boys, led zeppelin, the doors, janis joplin and many others.
bob lassonde, a trumpet and piano player with the spectras, first met ray in college because his girlfriend was the roommate of ray's girlfriend, candice, whom ray later married.
that connection helped lassonde join the band when they began searching for horn players, and it also helped foster a lifelong friendship lassonde said he'll always cherish.
the spectras never did officially make it big due to the fact that the vietnam war prevented them from signing a recording contract and tour offer from the beach boys, but that didn't stop them from recording and playing music all around the area for the past 49 years — or from gaining a huge following while doing it.
"the fact that this would've been our 50th summer, we're gonna make that happen because that was dick's wish," said lassonde. "he wanted to be known as group that lasted for 50 years. we're going to make that happen. even though he won't be there, he'll be there in our minds and when we're on stage we'll be thinking about dick.
lassonde credited ray as the "best musician" and the "best ear" in the band, which is something ray did as an english major in a sea of music majors. more than that, though, lassonde credited ray as an amazing friend.
"he was definitely the groove that kept us together," said lassonde. "he was the driving force... he made it look so easy, and without him as a driving force we never would've made it to 50 years. never. to be able to get up on stage, we have him to thank for that. and when we stop, i will miss it, but it will give me something think about and i have a lot of cds of us to listen to, and it's because of him."
an effort is underway to dedicate a room at whs to ray, who spent 25 years as the school's choral director and nine as its assistant principal. winnacunnet school board chairman chris muns said the honor would be a fitting one for the revered instructor, although that the idea must first go through the proper administrative channels before any decision is made on the matter.
"i didn't know him personally, but everything that i have heard is that he was a great teacher and he left a lasting impression on people," said muns. "those are the kinds of teachers and educators we want in the community, and to hopefully recognize as an example for others."
a sign honoring ray currently hangs outside the whs chorus room.
saturday's celebration of life is open to the public, and residents and former students are expected to make remarks during the event.
ray was buried at the new hampshire veterans cemetery in boscawen, and donations in his honor may be made to the richard h. ray memorial fund at www.fundly.com/the-richard-h-ray-memorial-fund.
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