Hugh Ragin was raised in Houston, Texas, and began playing trumpet in his early teens, taking lessons in classical music; he was also a member of the Houston All-City High School Orchestra.
Ragin earned a degree in music education from the University of Houston and a degree in classical trumpet performance from Colorado State University. He continued his education in 1978 at the with . A year later, he performed with Mitchell, 听and the Creative Orchestra at the in Germany. He then toured with .
During the early 1980s, Ragin toured with jazz trumpeter . He began an association with , becoming a member of Murray鈥檚 band in the 1980s. Currently, Ragin is a member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
Ragin earned a DMA in jazz studies from the University of Coloardo听羞羞视频 and leads a variety of ensembles, master classes听and workshops.听