Ray Lynam is an Irish country music singer, born on 29 November 1951 in Moate, County Westmeath.

[1] Ray was born in Moate, County Westmeath to Patrick, a baker, and Nora, a shopkeeper.

By 1969 he had joined and was lead singer for the group Ray Lynam and the Hillbillies and had their first Irish Charts success with a cover of the Buck Owens song "Sweet Rosie Jones".

[2] During the Wembley Country Music Festival of 1974, he teamed up with one of Irelands leading female country singers, Philomena Begley and went on to record many hit duets with her,[1] including My Elusive Dreams in 1975.

[3] Lynam’s singing voice is closely modeled on those American country singers that influenced his early career, such as George Jones and Merle Haggard, rather than the more popular (in Ireland at that time) Country and Irish style.