So, on his last day on the job he loved, Ray picked up his CB radio, and sent out a message to all those listening, thanking them for their support and reiterating his constant hope that everyone “stay safe out there.”

He signed off for the final time. And then, he started to cry.

“I didn’twantto cry,” the bilingual recording artist admits to PEOPLE about his final farewell to the men and women of the Las Cruces Police Department back in August of 2017. “I didn’t want to lose any street cred with my fellow officers, you know what I mean?” he says with a laugh. “But yeah, it was definitely an emotional moment for me.”

And he’s getting ready to jump those hurdles at this very moment.

Born in New Mexico, Ray did in fact spend much of his life dreaming of becoming a singer. He split his childhood between his parents' homes in Texas and New Mexico, finding varying musical influences within each locale.

“I was really immersed in both worlds, Mexican music and the heyday of ’90s country at the time,” he explains. “I fell in love with country music early on, and I started emulating some of my idols and just singing and performing every chance I got.”

However, as years went on, Ray soon found himself making the rational decision to pursue a career in law enforcement instead of trying to find a way into a genre that certainly lacked any sort of Latin influences.

And 10 years down the line, Ray was still content with his decision, even while his heart ached for something more. He would silently tell himself that his days of finding himself in the spotlight of country music were probably behind him, so he considered focusing primarily on songwriting.

“I started thinking that maybe, I had missed my shot,” he quietly recalls.

But Ray’s story was just beginning.

“There hadn’t been a prominent Hispanic artist, whether female or male, in country music in a very long time,” Ray says. “You look back at maybe Freddy Fender or Johnny Rodriguez, but there’s not been many.”

After scoring an opportunity to open for the legendary Keith Urban at a local concert, Ray also snagged the attention of a local promoter, who was confident that he would be able to get the smooth-sounding troubadour on Texas country radio. And soon, a few songs of his started hitting the Top 10, and Ray was increasingly in demand to perform the dance hall and club circuit around Texas.

There was just one problem. He was still a police officer.

“My wife has always had my back,” Ray remembers. “She was the one that was like, ‘You are going to kick yourself for the rest of your life if you don’t do it. I don’t ever want you to miss out on an opportunity and say you didn’t give it your all.'”

And that’s all he needed to hear.

Now signed to BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek Records, Ray is slowly starting to see his most lofty dreams materialize, starting off with the release of the visualizer for his Latin-infused country track “Streetlights,” exclusively premiering on PEOPLE.

Now living just outside of Nashville, Ray and his family have personally found their sweet spot in Music City, while Ray the artist continues to lean into the new opportunities set out in front of him.

“It’s honestly the honor of my life,” he says. “You know, anybody who has any ambition or dreams of being a star, they want to do it for the fame and the chance to see your name up in lights and stuff. But as I’ve grown up, I have realized that I can really make an impact on the culture and make an impact in this industry. Maybe set a good example for my kids and for other kids that had the same dreams that I did when I was a kid growing up.”

source: people.com