By Sarah Calams
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Frank Ray loved being a police officer with the Las Cruces (N.M.) Police Department, but he always dreamed of becoming a country singer. That dream became a reality for Ray at 33 years old when he took off the uniform after a decade in policing and grabbed a microphone to add a Latin twist to today’s country music genre.
Leaving the law enforcement profession, Ray told People.com, was “an emotional moment,” but he was ready to make his dreams come true.
“I fell in love with country music early on. I started emulating some of my idols … and just singing and performing every chance I got,” Ray said. “There hasn’t been a prominent Hispanic artist, whether female or male, in country music in a very long time.”
Ray signed onto BBR Music Group/Stone Creek Records and released “Streetlights.”
“As I’ve grown up, I have realized that I can really make an impact on the culture and make an impact in this industry,” he told People. “Maybe set a good example for my kids and for other kids that had the same dreams that I did when I was a kid growing up.”
Last year, Ray was invited to perform at the Grand Ole Opry – calling that moment the “pinnacle of any country music artist’s career” just two years after embarking on his musical journey.
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