Robert Cray is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
and singer. A five-time
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winner, he has led his own band, as well as an acclaimed solo career.
Career
Cray started playing
guitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in his early
teensAdolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
. At Denbigh High School in
Newport NewsNewport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
,
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, his love of blues and
soul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
flourished as he started collecting
recordsA gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. Originally, he wanted to become an
architectArchitecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, but around the same time that he began to study architectural design, he formed a local band "
Steakface", described as "the best band from Lakewood you never heard of". Cray's guitar and vocals contributed greatly to Steakface's set list of songs by
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
,
Quicksilver Messenger ServiceQuicksilver Messenger Service is an American psychedelic rock band, formed in 1965 in San Francisco.-Introduction:Quicksilver Messenger Service gained wide popularity in the Bay Area and, through their recordings, with psychedelic rock enthusiasts around the globe and several of their albums ranked...
,
Fleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
,
The Grease BandThe Grease Band was a rock band that started out as Joe Cocker's backing band. They recorded two albums in the 1970s. They are probably most widely known for their performance of The Beatles song, "With a Little Help from My Friends", with Joe Cocker at the Woodstock Festival in 1969...
,
Blodwyn PigBlodwyn Pig were a British blues–rock group founded by guitarist–vocalist–songwriter Mick Abrahams, after he left Jethro Tull in 1968 due to a falling-out with Tull leader Ian Anderson.-Career:...
,
Jethro TullJethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
,
SpiritSpirit was an American jazz/hard rock/progressive rock/psychedelic band founded in 1967, based in Los Angeles, California.- The original lineup :...
and The Faces.
By the age of twenty, Cray had seen his heroes
Albert CollinsAlbert Collins was an American electric blues guitarist and singer whose recording career began in the 1960s in Houston and whose fame eventually took him to stages across the US, Europe, Japan and Australia...
,
Freddie KingFreddie King , thought to have been born as Frederick Christian, originally recording as Freddy King, and nicknamed "the Texas Cannonball", was an influential African-American blues guitarist and singer. He is often mentioned as one of "the Three Kings" of electric blues guitar, along with Albert...
and
Muddy WatersMcKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
in
concertA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
and decided to form his own
bandIn music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
; they began playing college towns on the
West CoastWest Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. In the 1978
filmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
,
National Lampoon's Animal HouseNational Lampoon's Animal House is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis. The film was a direct spin-off of National Lampoon magazine...
, Cray was the uncredited bassist in the house party band
Otis Day and the KnightsOtis Day and the Knights was originally created as a fictional band to perform in the movie National Lampoon's Animal House. They are best known for their version of "Shout" and "Shama Lama Ding Dong". Otis Day was played by DeWayne Jessie. Robert Cray was one of the members of the band in the...
. After several years of regional success, Cray was signed to
Mercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
in 1982. His third
albumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
release,
Strong PersuaderStrong Persuader is American blues guitarist Robert Cray's fifth studio album, released in 1986, and became his breakthrough album to the mainstream. "Strong Persuader" also became a nickname for Cray...
, produced by Dennis Walker, received a
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, while the
crossoverCrossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
singleIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Smokin' Gun" gave him wider appeal and name recognition.
By now, Cray was an opening act for such major stars as
Eric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
(who remains a friend to this day), and sold out larger venues as a solo artist. Cray has generally played Fender guitars (Telecasters and Stratocasters) and there are two signature Robert Cray Stratocasters models available from Fender. The Robert Cray Custom Shop Stratocaster is made in the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the Fender custom shop and is identical to the guitars that Cray currently plays, while the
Robert Cray Standard StratocasterThe Fender Robert Cray Standard Stratocaster is a signature model guitar made by Fender. The Robert Cray Standard is designed to be a less expensive version of the Robert Cray Custom Shop Signature Stratocaster...
is a less-expensive model made in Fender's
EnsenadaEnsenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
plant.
Cray had the opportunity to play alongside
John Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
on his album Boom Boom, playing the guitar solo in the song "Same Old Blues Again". He is also featured on the Hooker album,
The HealerThe Healer is a blues album by John Lee Hooker, released in 1989. The album features collaborations with Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Musselwhite, Los Lobos and Carlos Santana, among others. The Healer peaked at number 62 on the Billboard 200 and won a Grammy award.-Track listing:All songs were written by...
; he plays a guitar solo on the song "Baby Lee". The entire Robert Cray Band backs Hooker on the title track of Hooker's 1992 album "Mr. Lucky", where Cray plays lead guitar, sings, and banters with Hooker throughout the song.
Cray was invited to play at the "Guitar Legends" concerts in
SevilleSeville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
at the 1992
ExpoThe Universal Exposition of Seville took place from Monday, April 20 to Monday, October 12, 1992 on La Isla de La Cartuja , Seville, Spain. The theme for the Expo was "The Age of Discovery" and over 100 countries were represented...
, where he played a signature track, "Phone Booth".
Albert CollinsAlbert Collins was an American electric blues guitarist and singer whose recording career began in the 1960s in Houston and whose fame eventually took him to stages across the US, Europe, Japan and Australia...
was also on the bill on this
bluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
night of the "Legends" gigs.
Cray continues to record and tour. He appeared at the
Crossroads Guitar FestivalThe Crossroads Guitar Festival is a music festival and benefit concert first held in 2004 and again in 2007 and 2010. The festivals benefit the Crossroads Centre founded by Eric Clapton, a drug treatment center located in Antigua. The concerts are also intended to be a showcase for a variety of...
, and
supportedAn opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
Eric Clapton on his 2006-2007 world tour. In
Fargo, North DakotaFargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
, he joined Clapton on backup guitar for the
CreamCream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
song "
Crossroads"Cross Road Blues" is a song by Delta Blues singer Robert Johnson; released on a 78 rpm record in 1936 by Vocalion Records, catalogue 3519. The original version remained out of print after its initial release until the appearance of The Complete Recordings in 1990...
". In 2011, Cray was inducted to the
Blues Hall of FameThe Blues Hall of Fame is a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1980 by the Blues Foundation, it honors those who have performed, recorded, or documented blues.-1980:*Big Bill Broonzy*Willie Dixon*John Lee Hooker...
.
Robert Cray Band
Robert Cray's current band:
- Robert Cray - Guitar/singer
- Tony Braunagel - Drums
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Jim Pugh - Keyboards
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Richard Cousins - Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Albums
| Year |
Album |
U.S. Top Blues Albums Chart |
U.S. Billboard 200 Chart The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
|
| 1980 |
Who's Been Talkin'? |
- |
- |
- |
| 1983 |
Bad Influence Bad Influence is a 1983 blues album by the blues singer-songwriter and guitarist Robert Cray.Released with Hightone Records, this was the album thought to have put Cray on the map, prior to his explosion into the mainstream with Strong Persuader in 1986. It was his second release and his first on...
|
- |
#143 |
- |
| 1985 |
False Accusations False Accusations is an album by The Robert Cray Band released 1985.In the same year Cray also won the W.C. Handy blues award for best male artist of 1985.-Track listing:#"Porch Light" – 5:01...
|
- |
#141 |
#68 |
| 1985 |
Showdown! Showdown! is a blues album by Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland, released in 1985 through Alligator Records. The album won the Best Traditional Blues Recording Grammy Award in 1986.-Track listing:#"T-Bone Shuffle" – 4:54...
(recorded with Albert CollinsAlbert Collins was an American electric blues guitarist and singer whose recording career began in the 1960s in Houston and whose fame eventually took him to stages across the US, Europe, Japan and Australia...
and Johnny CopelandJohnny Copeland was an American Texas blues guitarist and singer.-Career:Born in Haynesville, Louisiana, United States, while Copeland was becoming interested in music, he also pursued boxing, mostly as an avocation, and it is from his days as a boxer that he got his nickname "Clyde." Also as a...
) |
- |
- |
- |
| 1986 |
Strong Persuader Strong Persuader is American blues guitarist Robert Cray's fifth studio album, released in 1986, and became his breakthrough album to the mainstream. "Strong Persuader" also became a nickname for Cray...
|
- |
#13 |
#34 |
| 1988 |
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, released in 1988, was American blues musician Robert Cray's follow-up to Strong Persuader. It was unable to match the mainstream success of Strong Persuader, despite having an equal number of gems.-Track listing:...
|
- |
#32 |
#13 |
| 1990 |
Midnight Stroll Midnight Stroll is a blues album by Robert Cray and featuring the Memphis Horns. It was released in June 1990 through Mercury Records.-Track listing:#"The Forecast " – 4:00#"These Things" – 4:55...
|
- |
#51 |
#19 |
| 1992 |
I Was Warned I Was Warned is a blues album by Robert Cray. It was released in April 1992 through Mercury Records.- Track listing :# "Just a Loser" – 4:23# "I'm a Good Man" – 4:12# "I Was Warned" – 7:15...
|
- |
#103 |
#29 |
| 1993 |
Shame + A Sin Shame + A Sin is a blues album by Robert Cray. It was released in 1993, through Mercury Records.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Robert Cray; except where indicated# "1040 Blues"- 5:04# "Some Pain, Some Shame"-4:30# "I Shiver"- 5:12...
|
- |
#143 |
#48 |
| 1995 |
Some Rainy Morning Some Rainy Morning is a blues album by Robert Cray, it was released on 9 May 1995 through Mercury Records.- Track listing :#"Moan" - 6:01#"I'll Go On" - 4:11#"Steppin' Out" - 4:48...
|
#2 |
#127 |
#63 |
| 1997 |
Sweet Potato Pie Sweet Potato Pie is a blues album by Robert Cray. It was released on 5 May 1997, through Mercury Records.- Track listing :# "Nothing Against You" - 5:46# "Do That for Me" - 4:26# "Back Home" - 5:59...
|
#3 |
#184 |
- |
| 1999 |
Take Your Shoes Off Take Your Shoes Off is a blues album by Robert Cray, winning the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. It was released on 27 April 1999, through the Rykodisc label. The album won a Grammy Award not just for Cray, but also for drummer and composer Steve Jordan as producer...
|
#2 |
#181 |
- |
| 2001 |
Shoulda Been Home Shoulda Been Home is a 2001 album by blues musician Robert Cray consisting of 12 fresh tracks, 7 of them written or co-written by Cray. It was released with Rykodisc Records....
|
#2 |
- |
- |
| 2003 |
Time Will Tell Time Will Tell is a blues album by Robert Cray. It was released on 1 July 2003, through Sanctuary Records.- Track listing :# "Survivor" - 5:14# "Up in the Sky" - 4:54# "Back Door Slam" - 4:39# "I Didn't Know" - 5:00...
|
#3 |
- |
- |
| 2005 |
Twenty Twenty is a blues album by Robert Cray. It was released on 24 May 2005, through Sanctuary Records.-Track listing:#"Poor Johnny" – 5:01#"That Ain't Love" – 4:43#"Does It Really Matter" – 3:54#"Fadin' Away" – 3:56...
|
#2 |
- |
- |
| 2007 |
Live From Across The Pond |
#1 |
- |
- |
| 2008 |
Live At The BBC Live at the BBC is a live blues album by Robert Cray. It was released in 2008, through Vanguard Records. It is the second live album to be released by Cray to date, it was recorded in 1988, and 1991 at the Hammersmith Odeon.-Track listing:...
|
#7 |
- |
- |
| 2009 |
This Time This Time is a blues album by Robert Cray. It was released on August 11, 2009, through Vanguard Records, and Nozzle Records. It is his first studio album in four years, also featuring a reconstructed line-up. The Robert Cray band toured in the United States supporting the album...
|
#2 |
- |
- |
| 2010 |
Cookin' In Mobile Cookin' In Mobile is a live CD/DVD released by five-time Grammy award winner Robert Cray. It was released on July 27, 2010, through Vanguard Records. It is his first live concert released on DVD to date, and his third live album...
|
- |
- |
- |
Compilation albums and re-issues
- In Concert - live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
- 1999
- Who's Been Talkin' (re-released as Too Many Cooks in 1990, and re-issued as Who's Been Talkin' in 2001)
- Heavy Picks - The Robert Cray Band Collection - 1999 - U.S. Top Blues Albums #9
- The Best Of Robert Cray edition of 20th Century Masters / The Millennium Collection - 2002 - U.S. Top Blues Albums #11
Singles
| Year |
Title |
U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
|
| 1986 |
"Smoking Gun" |
#2 |
#22 |
- |
| 1987 |
"I Guessed I Showed Her" |
#28 |
- |
- |
| 1987 |
"Right Next Door (Because of Me)" |
#27 |
#80 |
#50 |
| 1987 |
"Nothin' But A Woman" |
- |
- |
- |
| 1988 |
"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" |
#4 |
#74 |
- |
| 1988 |
"Night Patrol" |
- |
- |
- |
| 1989 |
"Acting This Way" |
#24 |
- |
- |
| 1990 |
"Consequences" |
#32 |
- |
- |
| 1990 |
"The Forecast (Calls for Pain)" |
#11 |
- |
- |
| 1992 |
"Just a Loser" |
#33 |
- |
- |
| 1993 |
"1040 Blues" |
- |
- |
- |
| 1996 |
"Baby Lee"
(John Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
with Robert Cray) |
- |
- |
#65 |
See also
External links