Career
He also played in Elf, consisting of vocalist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Mickey Lee Soule, drummer Gary Driscoll and guitarist David Feinstein. Elf released three albums before they joined Ritchie Blackmore in his newly formed band Rainbow in mid-1975. Gruber played on Rainbow"s first album, Ritchie Blackmore"s Rainbow.
Soon after the album was released, Blackmore fired everyone except Dio.
Gruber played live with Gary Moore on his supporting tour for his album Victims of the Future, and featured on Moore"s 1984 live album We Want Moore. In 1980 he formed Bible Black with former Elf and Rainbow drummer Gary Driscoll.
The band produced two albums before Driscoll"s murder in 1987. Near the end of his life, Gruber had been building a line of high-end "soloing" basses, which can be seen at Infinite Metal Werkz.
Early in 2010 Gruber formed "ED3N"- a metal band in the classic rock genre.
The band featured vocalist Jeff Fenholt and guitarist David Shankle, of DSG and formerly Manowar. On April 18, 2013 it was announced that Gruber had joined the band Raven Lord. On November 7, 2013, Gruber announced via Facebook that he became part of a newly formed band founded by Csaba Zvekan called Zvekan.
Craig Gruber died of prostate cancer in Florida on May 5, 2015, aged 63.