Ray Hildebrand

American vocalist, best known for the 1960s hit "Hey Paula" by Paul & Paula. Born December 21, 1940 in Joshua, Texas, USA. Died August 18, 2023 in Overland Park, Kansas, USA. Ray Hildebrand was a singer and songwriter who became famous as half of the duo Paul and Paula in the 1960s. He wrote and recorded the hit song “Hey Paula” with his friend Jill Jackson, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart in 1963. The song was a romantic ballad that he had originally written for a friend’s girlfriend, but later dedicated to his own love interest, Judy Hendricks, whom he married in 1964. He and Ms. Jackson released three albums in 1963 and performed together on various shows, including Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand”. However, Mr. Hildebrand soon left the music industry to pursue a career as a contemporary Christian artist and a program director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a sports ministry. He also worked as a television producer and a real estate appraiser.