Ray Boltz (born 1953 in Muncie, Indiana, United States) is a singer songwriter who first came to wide notice in contemporary Christian music, many of his songs tell stories of faith and inspiration. He was raised by his parents William and Ruth Boltz, and was married to his wife Carol Boltz for over 30 years prior to coming out as gay in 2008. They have four children.
Boltz was virtually unknown when he wrote "Thank You", which won the Song of the Year prize at the 1990 GMA Dove Awards.[1] His song "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb" also won a Dove Award for Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year at the 25th GMA Dove Awards in 1994. After the release of Songs from the Potter's Field in 2002, and his last tour in 2004, Boltz retired from the music industry and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
In a September 2008 interview with the Washington Blade, Boltz came out of the closet and announced he was gay[2] Since then, Boltz has performed at several churches of the Metropolitan Community Church, a gay-affirming Christian denomination.[3]
In 2010, he released the album True, which won Album of the Year at the OUTMusic Awards.[4]
[edit] Discography
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- 1997 A Christmas Album: Bethlehem Star
- 1998 Honor and Glory
- 2000 The Classics
- 2001 Moments for the Heart, Vol. 1 & 2
- 2001 Concert of a Lifetime for Kids [live]
- 2002 Songs from the Potter's Field
- 2004 The Unchanging Story
- 2010 True
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[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year |
Album |
Chart |
Position |
| 1995 |
The Concert Of A Lifetime |
The Billboard 200 |
#194 |
| 1996 |
No Greater Sacrifice |
The Billboard 200 |
#173 |
| 1997 |
A Christmas Album: Bethlehem Star |
The Billboard 200 |
#169 |
[edit] Awards
Boltz has been the recipient of two song awards from the Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards. "Thank You" received the 1990 Song of the Year award, and "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb" received the 1994 award for Inspirational Song. He also was one of various artists contributing to God with Us: A Celebration of Christmas Carols & Classics, which won the 1997 award for Special Event Album.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Persondata |
| Name |
Boltz, Ray |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
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| Date of birth |
1953 |
| Place of birth |
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| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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