Professional Profile: Celest Ray, Vice President of Music,
Aaron Spelling Productions
A job meant to supplement her income while in college changed
Celest Ray's career path from nursery school teacher to film and televi-
sion music executive. "I always loved music and I really liked the mix of
the business aspect with the creative aspect." As a secretary at an inde-
pendent record label and music publishing company owned by artist
Johnny Rivers, Ray gained
experience in every conceiv-
able aspect of the business
and eventually was pro-
moted to general manager.
After ten years working
for Rivers, she was ready for
a new challenge. In 1983, Ray
accepted an offer from produc-
ers Norman Lear and Jerry
Perrenchio to be director of
music for Embassy Pictures.
During her tenure, she super-
vised such films and sound
track albums as This Is Spinal
Tap, Stand By Me, and A Chorus
Line. When Embassy's theatri-
cal division was sold to Dino
De Laurentiis in 1987, Ray
stayed on, working on Crimes
of the Heart, Backdraft, and Bill
and Ted's Excellent Adventure,
among others.
Embassy Pictures went
bankrupt in 1992, but Ray had
been operating her own
company, Music in Motion,
since 1988. As a contractor, she cleared music rights for Seinfeld, numer-
ous projects with MGM and Universal film studios, and a series of film
sound track albums for Big Screen Records. Hired part time by Ken
Miller to clear music rights for the first season of Beverly Hills 90210, she
was asked to supervise music for Melrose Place the following year.
Ray took a position at Paramount Studios in 1994, but after six months
was hired full time by Spelling Entertainment Group as director of music
coordination, in addition to supervising music for Melrose Place.
"Sometimes we
put our fears first, but
when there is more trust
and more belief, then we
can all work together.
When we put our fears first, we always loose.
I hope that I grow old in the business and
that I'll grow to drop my fears, believe in
myself, and be a guide for truth. Know that
you can be who you are and still succeed."
--Celest Ray
Work hard and look for opportunities
to prove yourself. "When I was working in
business affairs and I wanted to do a more
creative job, I stood up to the plate and asked
for the opportunity. Then, I would stay late
to do the work, over and above my business
affairs work. Instead of being resentful that
nobody was letting me try to be a creative
person, I took that on in addition to my
other work and people came to rely on me
more and more for my creative input."
--Celest Ray
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