| Jim Bray | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961 |
| Known for | Freestyle artistic roller skating, acting |
| Notable work |
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| Television |
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Jim Bray is a professional freestyle artistic roller skater. A performer and instructor, Bray competed in freestyle artistic skating for nearly a decade, prior to giving up his amateur status in order to co-star alongside Linda Blair in 1979 musical teensploitation film Roller Boogie.
By the time he was 18, Bray had earned 275 trophies and "won every Artistic Singles event from Primary Boys to Senior Men's in his Regional competitions". He has been United States amateur roller skating champion 8 times and skated competitively for 15 years.
In 1981, Roller Skating Magazine (published by Surfer Publications) wrote that Bray's "ability to turn his roller skating talent into a marketable career has been a pleasure and inspiration to millions all over the world".
Life
Jim Bray was born in 1961 and grew up in Ontario, California, as an only child. He graduated from Chaffee High School in Ontario, California.
Competitive skating
He began skating competitively in 1967, at 6 years of age. He stated that he first got interested in roller skating "from some girls who were neighbors". In his youth, he practiced daily after school from 3 PM to 7:30 PM.
Bray studied under various Californian coaches, including Chris Baerg of Downey, Rick Weber of Simi Valley, and Omar and Delores Dunn of Bakersfield.
At 13 years of age, he set his intentions on competing in the Olympics as well as the Artistic Skating World Championships. He has thanked his parents' support, stating, "They were my number one fans. They gave me everything. The skates. The joy of it. They were behind me all the time".
As of 1979, his major event was the Senior Men's International Skating competition, though he also skated Artistic Pairs. His other hobbies included water skiing, snow skiing, basketball, watching football, and coaching Little League Baseball.
Bray stated in a 1979 interview that he was inspired by Canadian figure skater Toller Cranston, but Michael Jacques was the skater he admired most. Bray stated, "I used to watch all the time and he was my idol...I'll never forget how he used to skate. He might be sideways jumping and still land right. I always wanted to be like him".
Roller Boogie and subsequent fame
Bray was scouted by producers who had seen a writeup and photoshoot about him, likely in Roller Skating Magazine. While he was initially a stunt man, he ended up being cast alongside Linda Blair because the producers could not find a leading actor who was familiar with roller skating. He was given acting and voice lessons to prepare him for the film. Blair would become a close friend of Bray's.
In 1981, describing his experience of Roller Boogie's 1979 premiere, Bray stated,
Premiere night was really weird! First of all, Linda and I arrived an hour late! I was so nervous because I'd invited everyone I knew! In the opening scene when it says "Introducing Jim Bray," my whole family started clapping! I was so embarrassed at first, and then I decided what the heck and settled down a little. I looked for all the bad spots, naturally, and just kept thinking about how strange it was to watch myself become someone else.
In 1980, Bray co-hosted a one-hour pilot for the Nickelodeon channel, titled Star City Roll Out, filmed at New York's Roxy Roller Rink. It featured "professional roller dancers, stunt skaters, and a top name musical group". Interviewees included Erik Estrada, Loni Anderson and Valerie Bertinelli; Bray intended to feature disco band "Le Chic" [sic]. The pilot aired in 1983.
The following year, he began work as a disc jockey at the Skateway rink in Chino. He was also an aerobic fitness teacher. He planned trips to Mexico and South Africa, presumably with The Jim Bray Traveling Show, though it is unknown if they occurred. He has also expressed interest in being on Battle of the Network Stars, though it has not yet been ascertained whether he participated in the broadcasts. He also recorded demo tracks for a rock album.
He appeared on The Big Show in 1980, alongside Steve Allen, Gary Coleman, Loni Andersen and Peggy Fleming. Likely the same year, on The Don Lane Show, he demonstrated rollerskating tricks, to audience applause. He stated that he would star in three films that year: Parasite; A Crosstown Kid; and Romeo and Juliet.
Some time before 1981, he developed a touring roller company titled The Jim Bray Traveling Show, which incorporated 15 show skaters. They performed in Mexico City as well as unspecified cities in Chile and Brazil. According to Roller Skating Magazine, Bray was "mobbed by fans in Brazil who knocked him unconscious in their determined effort to get close to " and when transported to a local hospital, where "the doctor in attendance requested Jim's autograph" before providing him with treatment for his minor injuries.
See also
References
- ^ "Jim Bray Interview, Roller Skating Magazine August 1979". 2022-04-01. Archived from the original on 2022-04-01. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
- ^ Wilson, John (2007-09-03). The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-0-446-51008-0.
- "Jim Bray on the Don Lane Show in the 80's - YouTube". YouTube. 2024-09-14. Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
- ^ Jayson Sutcliffe (2009-10-21). Jim Bray on the Don Lane Show in the 80's. Archived from the original on 2024-09-14. Retrieved 2024-12-31 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Success Profile: One In a Million: Jim Bray, Roller Skating Magazine (1981)". 2021-12-03. Archived from the original on 2021-12-03. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
- ^ "Why Jim Bray Doesn't Have Time for Love". www.susan-a-miller.com. Teen Beat Super Stars. 1980. Archived from the original on 2019-12-30. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- Easton, Anthony T. (1983). The Home Satellite TV Book: How to Put the World in Your Backyard. Putnam. ISBN 978-0-399-50921-6.
- "When Skateway came to Chino | Chino Memories | championnewspapers.com". 2019-02-12. Archived from the original on 2019-02-12. Retrieved 2024-12-31.