Ray Hildebrand was a singer and songwriter better known as “Paul” in the 1960s pop duo Paul & Paula, who had a hit with “Hey Paula.”
- Died: August 18, 2023 (Who else died on August 18?)
- Details of death: Died in Kansas City, Missouri, at the age of 82.
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Ray Hildebrand’s legacy
Hildebrand was a student at Howard Payne College in Brownwood, Texas, when he wrote “Hey Paula.” He initially performed it with fellow student Jill Jackson – who would later become “Paula” – on a radio fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. The performance was so well received that Hildebrand and Jackson recorded the song, taking on the names in the song for their pop personas. “Hey Paula” became a smash hit in 1963, rising to the top of the charts and selling two million copies. They followed its success with “Young Lovers,” which rose to the Top Ten.
Hildebrand and Jackson released three albums in 1963 and toured with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars, but their pop career was short-lived. Hildebrand dissolved the group in 1965, wishing to return to college. By 1967, though, he was back in the music world, pivoting to contemporary Christian music. He recorded as a solo artist and in a duo with Paul Land, Land & Hildebrand.
Notable quote
“I think one of the things ‘Hey Paula’ had was, it was like a couple dating right over the air. They were singing back and fourth to each other. You had your Steve and Edy’s, but it was not in the teenage pizza and peanut butter songs. I think it was different… I think the idea of a boy singing back to a girl, and the name Paul and Paula, had a ring to it. It was marketable. It was cute. It kind of rolled off your tongue.” —from an interview with Gary James
Tributes to Ray Hildebrand
Full obituary: Variety
