Ray Dorset

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Raymond Edward Dorset was born on March 21, 1946 in Ashford, Middlesex, England. Influenced by such 50s rock'n'roll greats as Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, Ray formed his first band the Blue Moon Skiffle Group at age eleven (the drummer for this outfit was none other than Phil Collins!). Three years later Dorset was briefly a member of Jackie Edwards' band. In the early 60s Ray's group the Concords had a regular weekly gig playing at the Station Hotel in Richmond, England where they alternated with the Rolling Stones (the Conchords played on Fridays and Saturdays while the Rolling Stones played on Thursdays and Sundays). Dorset formed the band Good Earth in 1968. This group eventually became Mungo Jerry in 1969. Mungo Jerry scored a massive international smash in 1970 with the extremely catchy and bubbly skiffle blues number "In the Summertime;" the song peaked at #1 on the UK pop charts and sold over six million copies in England alone. "In the Summertime" reached #3 on the US billboard charts and has reportedly sold over 23 million copies worldwide. Although Mungo Jerry never managed to either match or surpass the monumental success of "In the Summertime," the band nonetheless enjoyed a steady succession of British radio hits throughout the early to mid 70s. In 1972 Dorset released the acclaimed solo album "Cold Blue Excursion." In 1980 Ray wrote the #1 UK disco hit "Feels Like I'm in Love" for singer Kelly Marie (Dorset originally penned this particular tune for Elvis Presley, but alas the King of Rock'n'Roll died before he could ever record it). In the 80s Dorset wrote music for the British TV shows "Wizbit" and "Prospects." In 1983 Ray was a member of the short-lived group Katmandu along with Peter Green and Vincent Crane. He continues to be the frontman for a new incarnation of Mungo Jerry; the band record the occasional album and perform in concerts all over the world. Besides the guitar, Dorset also plays the kazoo, keyboards, harmonica, and accordion. Ray Dorset lives in Bielefeld, Germany with his wife and two sons.