È ricordato spesso in coppia con il paroliere Jay Livingston come coautore di colonne sonore di celebri film.
Durante gli studi alla University of Pennsylvania, Ray conobbe Jay Livingston, il quale aveva formato una band con altri studenti del college e chiese a Ray di unirsi al gruppo, la band suonò in vari club e nelle navi da crociera, è in questo periodo che Evans sviluppò un naturale talento come autore, dopo la laurea il duo si trasferì a New York dove iniziarono a scrivere del materiale per la Olsen e Johnson Productions di Broadway, nel 1941 colsero il loro primo successo con G'bye Now.
Livingston ed Evans vinsero il premio Oscar nel 1949 con la canzone Buttons and Bowns scritta per il film Viso pallido (the Paleface); nel 1951 con la canzone Mona Lisa, scritta per il film La spia del lago (Captain Carey, U.S.A.) e nel 1957 con la canzone Que sera sera, per il film L'uomo che sapeva troppo (The Men Who Knew Too Much), interpretata da Doris Day. Livingston ed Evans furono anche autori di molte canzoni per serie tv.
Nel 1958 conquistò una nomination al Tony Award con il musical Oh, Captain!.
Evans collaborò inoltre con Henry Mancini, Max Steiner e Victor Young.
Lavori per Broadway 1941 Sons O' Fun - revue - coautore delle canzoni. 1958 Oh, Captain! - musical - coautore delle canzoni e dei testi insieme a Livingston, nomination al Tony Award. 1961 Let It Ride - musical - coautore delle canzoni e dei testi insieme a Livingston. 1979 Sugar Babies - revue - coautore delle canzoni insieme a Livingston.
Lista canzoni composte Brani scritti e composti da Ray Evans e Jay Livingston, eccetto dove indicato. 36 34 36 (Jimmy McHugh, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Aaron Slick Adios Señorita Alì Baba (Be My Baby) All About Love All Hands on Deck All Mine (Roy Guerra, Victor Hime, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) All the Time Alley Oop Amours de printempts, Les (Henri Contet, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Andy's Mistery Tune (canzone conosciuta anche come Nostalgia) Angel Theme (Max Steiner, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Angela Angeltown Anniversary Rose Another Time, Another Place April Child (Moacir Santos, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Are You Happy in Your Work As I Love You At the Carnival At the Nickleodeon Baby Obey Me Back Home (canzone conosciuta anche come Rentrons chez nous) Bad News Banana Boat (canzone conosciuta anche come Oomba Oomba Oomba) Beatles, The Beside You Beyond Glory Big Carnival, The Big Clock Bing Bang Bong Bonanza Bonnie nuit (canzone conosciuta anche come Good Night) Bounce Brain She Ain't, A Brave Man Bride of Vengeance (Troy Sandears, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Broads Ain't People Buttons and Bows Buy Bonds for Bob Bye Bye (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) C'est la guerre (Michael Goldsen, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Calcutta California Rose Captain Henry St. James Cat and the Canary Chihuahua Choo Choo Chores Cincinnati Ciudad de Mexico (David Raskin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Coach and Four, A Come a Runnin' Manoe Come to Broadway Copper Canyon Crosswinds Cyd Charisse Dark City Daughter of Molly Malone Dear Heart Dime and a Dollar, A Do It Yourself Cha Cha Double Standard Dream Girl Dreamer, The (Tom McIntosh, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Dreamsville (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Drunk with Love Easy Come, Easy Go Era of Jazz Everything Beautiful Fancy Paints Feminity Fiddle and Gittar Band For Your Applause Fox Trot (Pete Rugolo, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Frangipani Blossom Free (David Raskin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) French Heels G Bye Ee G'bye Now (John Olsen, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) General Store Girls Give It All You Got Glass Mountain, The (Percy Faith, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Go Away My Love Golden Earrings (Victor Young, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Golden Years, the Good Intentions Great Feeling Happy Birthday Erwin Haven't Got a Worry Havin' a Wonderful Wish He Needs You Hear That Band Heart of a Drum Heavenly Days Hello There Here Comes the Groom Here's to Love Herman Hey Jimmy, Joe, Jim, Jack Through Children's Eyes Hey Jose Hey Madame hey Puchinello Highway Polka (Lewis Bellin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) His Own Little Island Home Cookin' Honey, Oh My Honey Honorable Congratulations How Can I be Alone Again How Can I Tell Her How Do We Know We're In How Much Will I Love You? How Shall We Begin (David Raskin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) I Depend on You I Do, I Do, I Do I Don't Feel at Home I Got It Made I Shoulda Quit I Waited so Long I Was a Little Too Lonely I Wouldn't Have Had To I'd Like to Baby You I'll Always Love You I'll Eat My Hat (Lewis Bellin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) I'll Learin Ya I've Been There I've Had Enough If Flutterby Wins Illinois Imperfect Lady In Laguna (George Russell, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) In the Arms of Love (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Indian Summer It Doesn't Cost a Dime to Dream It's a Privilege to Live in Brooklyn It's Never Quite the Same It's Raining Rain It's Torment J.J. Jones Jennifer (Patrick Williams, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Joke's on Me (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Just a Moment More Just an Honest Mistake Just for Fun Kathy (Moacir Santos, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Keep It Simple Kit Carson and the Mountain (Norman Baker, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Kitty Krazy Kat Krazy Theme Lady Killer Laramie Laughing at Love (Robert Swanson, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Let It Ride Let Me Be Loved Let Me Hear You Whisper Let Me Love You Let Me so Love Let's Capture This Moment Forever (Lewis Bellin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Let's Go Home (Peanuts Holland, Sande Williams, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Let's Go on with the Show Life Begins at Fourteen Life Does a Man a Favor Life Is a Beautiful Thing Little Rock Roll, The Lola Lola Lonely Girl (Neal Hefti, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Lonely Weather for Ducks Love Came Between Us Love Him Love Is Hell Love Laughs at Kings (Victor Young, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Love Let Me Know Love Me Now (Percy Faith, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Lovers in New York (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Lovers of Omar Khayyam, The Luanne (Moacir Santos, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Lucky Us Magic Touch Mama Mama Mama (Where You Get De Cigar) Man and Woman Marshmellow Moon Mating Season, The Maybe September (Song from the Oscar) (Percy Faith, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Media, The Meet a Happy Guy Meetcha 'Round the Corner Meeting Time Melody Military Policeman, The Miss Dynamite Miss Julie July Mister Ed Misto Cristofo Columbo Mole People, The Mona Lisa Monday Mourning on Saturday Monsieur Beaucaire Moondreams (You, Love and Me) (Egberto Gismonti, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Morning Music of Montmartre, The Mother Brown (Knees Up Mother Brown) Mr. Bando Man Mr. Lucky (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) My Beloved My Favorite Brunette My Favorite Chair My Friend Irma My Heart Is Home My Heart's in America (Harold Johnson, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) My Heart's Popping My Hearts on Ice (John Olsen, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) My Kind of Day My Love Loves Me (G.B. Martini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) My Love, My Life My Own True Love My Own, My Only, My All My Sons, My Sons Never Let Me Go Never so Beautiful Never Too Late (David Rose, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) New Vienna Woods, The Nicest Thing, The No Man Can Tame Me No Man of Her Own Nobody Cares Norman Corwin Presents Nothing Will Keep Me Away On My Way (Max Steiner, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) On the Other End of a Kiss On This Show Once Upon a Horse Oom Pah Pah Open Your Arms Out in All That Rain Paramount Doesn't Want Me Blue Paris Smiles (Maurice Jarre, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Pat Boone Blues, The Pretty Mandolin Tic a Tic, A Promenade Purt Night But Not Plumb Que sera sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be) Rams Are Rolling, The (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Ransom for Alice (David Rose, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Rear Window Red Garters Red Robin Randall Song, The Rhubarb Ridgeville Fight Song Right or Wrong Rose Tattoo Round and Round the Christmas Tree Ruby and the Pearl, The Run, Run, Run Saddle the Wind Saga of Sadie Thompson Sailor Beware Sainted Sisters Samba (Luiz Peixoto, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Same Old Army (Jimmy McHugh, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Satins and Spurs Saturday Night in Puckin Crick Say It with Love (Lewis Bellin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Second Greatest Sex, The Secret of Old Glory Mine See the Circus See You Around (Percy Faith, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Sepulveda Sexy Sadie Silver Bells Sin Somebody Loves Me Someday You'll Be Sorry Somewhere There's Home Soin of Paleface Song of Delilah (Victor Young, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Song of Surrender (Victor Young, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Song of the Wheel Sorrowful Jones Sounds That I Love, The (Van Alexander, Ray Evans) Square in the Social Circle, A Still Water Straight to Baby (Henry Mancini, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Straw Hat Streets of Laredo Stuff Like That There Sugar Boat Surprise Swing Hostess (Lewis Bellin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) T.C. Roundup Take a Giant Step Take Your Time Tammy Tell My Love (Victor Young, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Temple Thank You All Thanks to You That Ain't Right That Travelin' Two Beat That's How It Is That's Loneliness (Song After Sundown) (David Raskin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) That's Not the Knot That's the News! That's the News! That's the News! That's You (Juan Calderon, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) There's No One Like You There's Something About a Home They Obviously Want Me to Sing This Could Have Been Mine This Happy Feeling This Is Greater Than I Thought Those Bad Old Days (David Raskin, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) Thousand Violins, A Three Paradises Times a Wastin' (Harold Johnson, Ray Evans, Jay Livingston) To Each His Own To Rome with Love Todado Tonight My Love (Theme from A Place in the Sun) Two Little Bears Unconquered Vaquers Vertigo Inspired by the Movie Very Proper Town, A Wait Until Dark (I Wait Until Dark) Waiting in the Wings Warm and Willing Warm as Wine Warm Sun, Cold Moon We'll Love Again We're Not Children We've Loved Before What a Deal What Did We Do Last Night What Do You Think About Me? What Price Glory What's My Name What's Yours Wheels When World's Collide When You Love Someone Where Can You Be Where Do I Go from Here Who's Doing What to Erwin Whoop Diddy Ay Why Should I Believe in Love Wildcat Smathers Window Wiper Song Wing Ding Tonight Wish Wish Me a Rainbow Wonderin' When Wow! Ya Got Class You Don't Know Him You Gotta Be Different You're so Right for Me You're Wonderful Your Own Little House
Note
Voci correlate Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) Silver Bells (brano musicale)
Altri progetti
Collegamenti esterni
(Necrologio sul The New York Times del 17 febbraio 2007, con breve biografia) (Biografia e lista canzoni)
Categoria:Compositori di musiche per film