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Biography
BLP sources|date=January 2008Infobox musical artist | name = Robert Cray| image = RobertCray.jpg| caption = Robert Cray in concert, 2007| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| birth_date = Birth date and age|1953|8|1|df=yes Columbus, Georgia|Columbus , Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia United States | death_date =| alias =| genre = Blues | associated_acts =| label = Mercury Records|Mercury , Vanguard Records|Vanguard , Nozzle| occupation = Musician | notable_instruments = Fender Stratocaster|Robert Cray Signature Model Stratocaster | years_active = 1977-present| website = URL| http://www.robertcray.com/entry.phpRobert Cray (born August 1, 1953, Columbus, Georgia|Columbus , Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia , United States ) is an United States|American blues guitarist and singing|singer . A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band, as well as an acclaimed solo career.cite web|url= http://www.robertcray.com/band|title=Robert Cray official website|last=Cray|year=2011|accessdate=3 August 2011
Career
Cray started playing guitar in his early teens. At Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia|Newport News , Virginia , his love of blues and soul music flourished as he started collecting records. Originally, he wanted to become an architecture|architect , but around the same time that he began to study architectural design, he formed the band Steakface, described as "the best band from Lakewood, Washington|Lakewood you never heard of". http://pnwbands.com/steakface.html "Steakface" PNW Bands Cray's guitar and vocals contributed greatly to Steakface's set list of songs by Jimi Hendrix , QuicksilverMessenger Service , Fleetwood Mac , The Grease Band , Blodwyn Pig , Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull , Spirit (band)|Spirit and The Faces .
By the age of twenty, Cray had seen his heroes Albert Collins , Freddie King and Muddy Waters in concert and decided to form his own band; they began playing college towns on the West Coast of the United States|West Coast . In the late 1970s he lived in Eugene, Oregon , where he formed the Robert Cray Band and collaborated with Curtis Salgado in the Cray-Hawks. In the 1978 film, '' National Lampoon's Animal House , Cray was the uncredited bassist in the house party band Otis Day and the Knights . After several years of regional success, Cray was signed to Mercury Records in 1982. His third album release, Strong Persuader '', produced by Dennis Walker, received a Grammy Award , while the Crossover (music)|crossover single (music)|single "Smokin' Gun" gave him wider appeal and name recognition.
By now, Cray was an opening act for such major stars as Eric Clapton (who remains a friend to this day), and sold out larger venues as a solo artist. Cray has generally played Fender guitars ( Telecaster s and Stratocaster s) and there are two signature Robert Cray Stratocasters models available from Fender. The Robert Cray Custom Shop Stratocaster is made in the United States in the Fender custom shop and is identical to the guitars that Cray currently plays, while the Robert Cray Standard Stratocaster is a less-expensive model made in Fender's Ensenada, Baja California|Ensenada , Mexico plant.
Cray had the opportunity to play alongside John Lee Hooker 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 Healer (album)|The Healer ; 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 Seville , Spain at the 1992 Seville Expo '92|Expo , where he played a signature track, "Phone Booth". Albert Collins was also on the bill on this blues night of the "Legends" gigs.
Cray continues to record and tour. He appeared at the Crossroads Guitar Festival , and Opening act|supported Eric Clapton on his 2006-2007 world tour. In Fargo, North Dakota , he joined Clapton on backup guitar for the Cream (band)|Cream song " Cross Road Blues|Crossroads ". In 2011, Cray was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame .cite web|url= http://www.blues.org/halloffame/#ref=halloffame_inductees |title=Blues Hall of Fame inductees 2011 |publisher=Blues.org |date= |accessdate=2012-03-02
''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
url=Allmusic
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart
UK Singles Chart
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 Hooker with Robert Cray)
-
-
#65
See also
List of blues musicians
List of electric blues musicians
List of contemporary blues musicians
List of soul-blues musicians
List of guitarists
List of celebrities who have appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine
Chicago Blues Festival
Long Beach Blues Festival
References
Reflist
External links
commonscat|Robert CrayProne to spam|date=March 2012
http://www.robertcray.com/entry.php Official site
IMDb name|0187042
MySpace|robertcray|Robert Cray
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p320/biography|pure_url=yes Robert Cray at Allmusic
http://www.edwinesmith.com/Letters%20From%20Little%20Rock/? p=39 Review of Time Will Tell
Persondata|NAME= Cray, Robert |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States|American blues guitarist and singing|singer |DATE OF BIRTH= August 1, 1953 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Columbus, Georgia|Columbus , Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia , United States |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= DEFAULTSORT:Cray, Robert Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Contemporary blues musicians Category:Electric blues musicians Category:Soul-blues musicians Category:American blues singers Category:American male singers Category:American blues guitarists Category:Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:African American musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from Columbus, Georgia Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Eugene, Oregon
