Background
Cray, Robert was born on August 1, 1953 in Columbus, Georgia, United States.
singer songwriter Popular blues guitarist
Cray, Robert was born on August 1, 1953 in Columbus, Georgia, United States.
He attended Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia.
Cray started guitar in his early teens. 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.
In the late 1970s he lived in Eugene, Oregon, where he formed the 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.
Two albums on HighTone Records in the mid-1980s, Bad Influence and False Accusations, were moderately successful in the United States and in Europe, where he was building a reputation as a live artist. He was invited by Keith Richards to join the backing band for Chuck Berry in the 1987 film, Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll, directed by Taylor Hackford. By now, Cray was an opening act for such major stars as Eric Clapton 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 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, 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. He plays a guitar solo on the song "Baby Lee". The entire 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 played with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Stevie Ray Vaughan at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin, performing "Sweet Home Chicago". This was Stevie Ray Vaughan's final performance before he died in a helicopter accident later that night.
Cray was invited to play at the "Guitar Legends" concerts in Seville, Spain at the 1992 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 supported Eric Clapton on his 2006-2007 world tour. In Fargo, North Dakota, he joined Clapton on backup guitar for the Cream song "Crossroads". In 2011, Cray was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.
Robert Cray - guitar/vocals
Les Falconer - drums
Dover Weinberg - keyboards
Richard Cousins - bass guitar
Peter Boe ~ Keyboards
Al Chez ~ Trumpet
Kevin Hayes ~ Drums
Wayne Jackson ~ Trumpet
Tim Kaihatsu ~ Guitar
Andrew Love ~ Saxophone
Ed Manion ~ Saxophone
Rocky Manzanares ~ Harp
Tom Murphy ~ Drums
David Olson ~ Drums
Mark Pender ~ Trumpet
Jimmy Pugh ~ Keyboards
Warren Rand ~ Alto Saxophone
Curtis Salgado ~ Harp
Carl Sevareid ~ Bass
David Stewart ~ Keyboards
Mike Vannice ~ Saxophone
Bad Influence, Hightone Records, HT 8001, The , 1983.
( Digital Sheet Music of I Was Warned Composed by: Denni...)
(Music for the Robert Cray album "Strong Persuader.)