Ray Deaton

The original and long time bassist and bass singer with IIIrd Tyme Out. Died June 4, 2019 at the age of 66. Prior to helping create IIIrd Tyme Out, Ray had been a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, along with Russell Moore and Mike Hartgrove. They all departed Lawson’s band together to form their own, and invited Alan Bibey to join them on mandolin. Bibey then suggested that Terry Baucom might be willing to come in on banjo. That was the start of a legendary outfit back in 1991. Deaton was also a gifted vocalist, who could jump from singing tenor atop Moore’s soaring voice on one song, and drop to singing bass on a quartet number on the next. Those who remember IIIrd Tyme Out from those days can recall Ray’s voice rattling the low end of the sound system on the great Gospel pieces they used to do. After leaving IIIrd Tyme Out, Ray played for a while with The Anita Fisher Band, until health issues got in the way.