Billy Quincy McCray was born October 29, 1927 in Geary, Oklahoma. He graduated from high school in Dover, Oklahoma in 1945 and attended Langston University (Langston, Oklahoma) for two years before enlisting in the United States Air Force, serving for four years. McCray subsequently attended the University of Colorado, majoring in journalism. In 1951 he began working for the Boeing Company in Wichita, Kansas, with whom he remained employed for nearly thirty years. McCray was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1966, serving for six years; in 1972 he was elected as a state senator and represented the Wichita area in the state Senate for twelve years. In 1984 McCray left the Kansas Legislature, becoming director of the Kansas Department of Economic Development's Office of Minority Business. Two years later he returned to public office when he was elected to the Sedgwick County Commission.

While in the Legislature, McCray was noted for his involvement in issues that affected the African American community, including support for minority businesses, fair housing, and teaching ethnic history in Kansas schools. He also opposed re-establishing the death penalty and strongly supported financing for sickle cell anemia testing in pubic schools. He also served as chairman of the Kansas Legislature's Minority Caucus.

McCray was active in a variety of organizations, including: the NAACP, the Wichita Urban League, and the Prince Hall Masonic Bodies. He served on the Wichita Human Relations Commission for six years and lectured annually for the Wichita State University Taft Institute.

McCray married Wyvette Williams; the couple had four children: Frankielieen, Melody, Kent, and Anthony. Wyvette McCray died June 30, 1995.