▁a ▁young ▁age . ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 2 , ▁she ▁jump ed ▁on ▁a ▁fre ight ▁train ▁dressed ▁as ▁a ▁boy ▁and ▁left ▁her ▁hard ▁child hood ▁of ▁pick ing ▁cot ton . ▁She ▁made ▁it ▁the ▁Sh re ve port ▁where ▁she ▁lived ▁and ▁worked . ▁She ▁joined ▁a ▁group ▁from ▁Kansas ▁City ▁who ▁were ▁looking ▁for ▁young ▁d anc ers . ▁She ▁tra ve led ▁the ▁country ▁as ▁a ▁singer ▁and ▁dan cer ▁on ▁the ▁v au dev ille ▁circuit . ▁She ▁learned ▁the ▁trade ▁from ▁her ▁ment or ▁Car nel ▁L ions , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁" Bus iness ▁Men ▁of ▁Rh ythm ." ▁At ▁ 1 6 , ▁she ▁vent ured ▁out ▁with ▁a ▁solo ▁act . ▁At ▁ 1 8 , ▁she ▁tried ▁out ▁an ▁act ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁Leonard ▁Re ed ▁who ▁called ▁her ▁a ▁b itch ▁for ▁m im ick ing ▁his ▁moves ▁so ▁well ▁and ▁h ired ▁her . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁she ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁where ▁she ▁worked ▁at ▁the ▁C afé ▁Z anz ib ar , ▁Club ▁Eb ony ▁and ▁the ▁ 8 4 5 . ▁During ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁Ray ▁became ▁a ▁cert ified ▁wel der , ▁building ▁ships ▁for ▁the ▁Navy . ▁After ▁the aters ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁closed , ▁she ▁went ▁abroad ▁where ▁she ▁produced ▁shows . ▁She ▁dan ced ▁and ▁told ▁j okes ▁with ▁US O ▁t ours ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁in