Trivia

Used the twelve of the lowest sounding instruments in Grizzly (1976).

Works with music orchestrator Jack Hayes.

Retired from film scoring in 2007.

He played the piano at age five.

Stepfather of Oscar nominated film composers David Newman and Thomas Newman.

Married Martha Montgomery in the early 1972, after the death of her husband, famous Oscar winning film composer, Alfred Newman.

Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences [Music Branch].

He had private study with many international renowned and accomplished composers including Igor Stravinsky, Soulima Stravinsky, Nadia Boulanger, Leo Sowerby, Lennie Tristano, William Russo, Alexander Tcherepnin, Hans Swarovsky and George Trembaly (whom Ragland considered a major influence in his career as well as a personal mentor).

Ragland recycled cue samples from his scores for both "Grizzly" (1976) and "Q: The Winged Serpent" (1982) in two scenes for his score for "Top of the World" (1997).

Frequently collaborated with fellow composer/arranger Alan Oldfield.

Was a very accomplished jazz pianist which helped him land his first job as a music arranger with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra.

Outside of scoring motion pictures, Ragland also arranged and conducted music for recording albums of several major singers and bands including Marvin Gaye, Pat Boone, Sid Wayne, Elton John, Bruce Scott, The Bee Gees, Fiona and Dokken.

Collaborated frequently with filmmakers and producers including Menahem Golan, Avi Lerner, J. Lee Thompson, William Girdler and Larry Cohen.

Several of his film scores were completed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra, in London, England which at the time was the primary recording orchestra for film and television scoring.

Ragland's decision to become a film composer were inspired by listening to the film scores for "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) by Dave Raksin and "Raintree County" (1957) by Johnny Green.

According to the Los Angeles Times, January 14th, 1976, Ragland was on the short list for Oscar nomination consideration for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for the film "Seven Alone" (1974).

Ragland's father, along with T. L. Williams, started a small cosmetic company which eventually grew to become the famous Maybelline Company, the world's largest supplier of eye beauty products.

He was one of the first mainstream film composers to use synthesizers within an orchestra.

His original score for "Trial by Terror" (1983) was used in the theatrical release, however a new score composed by Michael Linn replaced his score as a result of litigation Ragland initiated against producer Wayne Crawford over unpaid commissions and royalties from income the film received overseas. Ragland filed a cease and desist over the use of his score and eventually was settled. Therefore two versions of the film exist with both respective composer's scores.