Help The Singing Cab Driver

Hello! I am Ray Suges, musician, writer, street philosopher, widely known since 1991 as Chicago’s own Ray St. Ray, The Singing Cab Driver.

I'm hoping you can help me.

I love Chicago. I love singing to people in a taxicab. I live to make their day. Ask any of the 100,000+ passengers who experienced me. I AM Chicago.

More of a performance artist than just a taxi driver, I was never in this for the money. But I do have to cover expenses.

Rent, utilities, the price of everything has gone up in the last ten years. Everything except the taxicab rates in Chicago. On top of that, the pandemic and so-called ridesharing decimated the industry, a lot of stores and restaurants closed and fewer people work downtown. Many taxi drivers weren’t even making minimum wage and automatic payment apps have really cut into my tips.

While all of this was happening I was writing more than cab driving, barely breaking even. A script for ANXIETY SOCIETY: How Our Future was Stolen, is slowly nearing completion for recording. In this story-social commentary-musical podcast I will Raysplain how the world got to be so messed up.

I'm no scholar, not an expert, hardly an authority on such matters. I am literally a wandering troubadour, just a poor old artist, highly self educated and only the most qualified person in the world to be me. This audiobook podcast is a collection of allegories and explanations of the world as I see it, told in my own baroque style. My purpose is to entertain, provoke thought, encourage discussion and stir to action.

I could sure use some support.

I’m 73 years old, driving a taxi 6 or 7 days a week and am still too broke to catch up on rent and bills, let alone afford the expense of new equipment, IT services, legal stuff and taking time to record.

Last year I started this fundraiser and although we didn't reach my goal of $3500, contributions from family, friends, fans and Secret Santas helped me deal with that emergency. I thought I'd taken this page down but was pleasantly surprised to receive a donation recently. Personal finances are still precarious so I am leaving this page up. .

I have been working on this project for over a decade, the ANXIETY SOCIETY: How Our Future was Stolen script for four years. Any further donations will go towards getting this epic 87,000+ word, 27 song audio experience released to the world.

One of the songs, WRONG SIDE of ENOUGH was recorded in a studio and released as a single. More info at singingcabdriver.com

All contributions are greatly appreciated.

Please help me out with whatever you can and spread the word.