John Alvin Ray (January 10, 1927 – February 24, 1990) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Highly popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor to what became rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music, and his animated stage personality. Tony Bennett called Ray the “father of rock and roll”, and historians have noted him as a pioneering figure in the development of the genre.

In 1951, before Ray became well known, he was arrested in Detroit, Michigan, for soliciting and accosting an undercover male vice-squad police officer for sex in the restroom of the Stone Theatre, a burlesque house. When he appeared in court, he pled guilty to the charges, paid a fine, and was released.