Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 8, 2026

Ray Monette

Raymond Curtis Monette was an American musician, singer and songwriter.

Last revised
Jul 8, 2026
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Ray Monette
Monette in 1974
Monette in 1974
Background information
Born
Raymond Curtis Monette

May 7, 1946
DiedApril 9, 2026(2026-04-09) (aged 79)
Genresrock
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1960s–2017
Formerly ofRare Earth

Raymond Curtis Monette (May 7, 1946 – April 9, 2026) was an American musician, singer and songwriter.

Early life

Raymond Curtis Monette was born on May 7, 1946 in Redford, Michigan to Ernest Antoine Monette and Geraldine Grace (Trowbridge) Monette.123 He had a brother, Lanny David Monette, who predeceased him, and a sister, Patricia.3 Monette was raised in Detroit.3 Monette first decided to have a career in music when he was thirteen years old, and his parents soon bought him his first guitar.3

Career

He started his career as a session musician with Motown. He was also a songwriter and, in 1967 Detroit started a band called The Abstract Reality, who released a 45 rpm single "Love Burns Like A Fire Inside".45 He formed Scorpion with Mike Campbell, Bob 'Babbitt' Kreinar and Andrew Smith. His name appears on Scorpion and Meat Loaf's debut album Stoney & Meatloaf (1971). For that recording, Monette co-wrote four songs.67 That same year, he played tenor guitar on "Evolution" by Dennis Coffey & the Detroit Guitar Band,8 and played a guitar solo on Funkadelic's "I Got A Thing, You Got A Thing, Everybody's Got A Thing". He was guitarist and singer for Rare Earth from 1971 until 2004 (with a break around 1977).9 Monette played guitar on one of Rare Earth's most memorable singles, "I Just Want to Celebrate" and was the guitarist on the gold-selling 1971 live album, Rare Earth in Concert.

In 2010, Monette played on the Phil Collins album, Going Back.10

Personal life

Monette married his wife Judith Lee Ricketts, who he met in high school, on November 26, 1966.3 They had three children: a daughter, born in 1967 who died from SIDS in 1968, and two sons, born in 1970 and 1976.3 They also have two grandchildren.3

Monette died on April 9, 2026, at the age of 79.3

References

References

  1. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. Library of Congress. 1967. p. 1695. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  2. Kauth, André (20 November 2025). Die deutschen Single-Charts Band 2 – 1970 bis 1979: 1970 bis 1979. BoD – Books on Demand. p. 155. ISBN 978-3-6951-3634-6. Retrieved 22 November 2025.
  3. "Raymond C. Monette". Heeney-Sundquist Funeral Home. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  4. "Sport Records 104-A (1967 Detroit MI) label & song - side A: 'Love Burns Like A Fire Inside' (A. Williams, R. Monette, M. Campbell), The Abstract Reality". YouTube. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2011. (Note: side B: ib. instrumental version)
  5. "The Soul Discography (Volume 1 A-F)" (PDF). Eyeball Productions, West Vancouver, BC Canada. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  6. "Scorpion". Badcatrecords.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  7. Stoney and Meatloaf The Almost Complete Meat Loaf & Jim Steinman Lyric Archive], Mljs.evilnickname.org (Retrieved 2 July 2011)
  8. "Rare Vinyls - the Dennis Coffey and Mike Theodore gems!". Djharvey.de. Retrieved 12 July 2011. (Sussex SXBS 7004 - 1971)
  9. Gary S. Hartman (2008). "Rare Earth". The Classic Rock Connection. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  10. Gerhardts, Christian (6 October 2010). "Genesis News Com [it]: Phil Collins - Making Of Going Back". Genesis-news.com. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
External links