Robert Cray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Cray
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Robert Cray in concert, 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert William Cray |
| Also known as | Night Train Clemons |
| Born | August 1, 1953 Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Origin | Newport News, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | Blues, blues rock, soul blues |
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| Years active | 1974–present |
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Robert William Cray, born on August 1, 1953, is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is famous for leading his own band and has won five Grammy Awards.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Robert Cray was born in Columbus, Georgia. His father was in the military, so his family moved around a lot. Robert started playing music when he was a student at Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia. There, he played in his first band called The One-Way Street. Later, his family settled in Tacoma, Washington. He attended Lakes High School in Lakewood, Washington.
By the time he was 20, Cray had seen many of his favorite blues musicians perform live. These included Albert Collins, Freddie King, and Muddy Waters. Seeing them inspired him to form his own band. They started playing in college towns along the West Coast. In the late 1970s, he lived in Eugene, Oregon. There, he officially formed the Robert Cray Band. He also worked with Curtis Salgado in a group called the Cray-Hawks. In the 1978 movie National Lampoon's Animal House, Robert Cray was a bassist in the party band, though he was not credited for it.
Robert Cray's Music Career
Rising to Fame in the 1980s
Robert Cray released his first album, Who's Been Talkin', in 1980. He then released two more albums, Bad Influence and False Accusations, in the mid-1980s. These albums became quite popular in the United States and Europe. He was also becoming well-known for his exciting live performances. In 1985, he released the album Showdown! with his heroes Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland.
In 1986, Cray signed with Mercury Records. He released his fourth album, Strong Persuader, which won a Grammy Award. The song "Smoking Gun" from this album became a big hit. It helped him become even more famous. He also recorded with Ted Hawkins under the name "Night Train Clemons." In 1987, Keith Richards invited Cray to play in the backing band for Chuck Berry. This was for the film Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll. Later that year, Tina Turner asked Cray to be part of her TV special, Break Every Rule.
By the late 1980s, Robert Cray was opening for major stars like Eric Clapton. He also started selling out large concert venues as a solo artist. Cray often plays Fender guitars, especially Telecasters and Stratocasters. Fender even created two special Robert Cray Stratocaster models.
Collaborations and Performances in the 1990s
In the 1990s, Cray had the chance to play with many other blues legends. He played guitar on John Lee Hooker's album Boom Boom. He also played a guitar solo on the song "Baby Lee" from Hooker's album, The Healer. The entire Robert Cray Band played on the title track of Hooker's 1992 album Mr. Lucky. On this song, Cray played lead guitar, sang, and talked with Hooker.
The band also appeared on two songs from B.B. King's 1993 album Blues Summit. One song was "Playin' With My Friends," which Cray wrote with Dennis Walker. The other was "You Shook Me" with B.B. King and John Lee Hooker.
In August 1990, Cray performed with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. They played "Sweet Home Chicago" at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. This was Stevie Ray Vaughan's last performance before he passed away in a helicopter accident later that night.
Cray was also invited to play at the "Guitar Legends" concerts in Seville, Spain, during the 1992 Expo. He performed his famous song "Phone Booth" there. Albert Collins also played at this blues event.
Recent Career and Awards
In 2005, Robert Cray was honored at Hollywood's RockWalk. This is a place where famous musicians leave their handprints.
Cray continues to make new music and tour around the world. He has appeared at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. He also supported Eric Clapton on his world tour in 2006-2007.
In 2011, Cray was added to the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2017, he received the Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance.
In 2022, Robert Cray decided not to join Eric Clapton's Europe tour. This decision came after some disagreement about a song's lyrics.
The Robert Cray Band
The Robert Cray Band is known for its amazing blues and soul music.
Current Members
- Robert Cray – lead and rhythm guitar, vocals
- Richard Cousins – bass guitar
- George Sluppick – drums
- Dover Weinberg – keyboards
Past Members
- Peter Boe – keyboards
- Al Chez – trumpet
- Terence F. Clark – drums
- Les Falconer – drums
- Kevin Hayes – drums (1989–2008)
- Wayne Jackson – trumpet
- Tim Kaihatsu – rhythm guitar
- Andrew Love – saxophone
- Ed Manion – saxophone
- Rocky Manzanares – harmonica
- Tom Murphy – drums
- David Olson – drums
- Mark Pender – trumpet
- Jimmy Pugh – keyboards
- Warren Rand – alto saxophone
- Curtis Salgado – harmonica
- Karl Sevareid – bass
- David Stewart – keyboards
- Mike Vannice – saxophone
Discography
Robert Cray has released many studio albums throughout his career:
- Who's Been Talkin' (1980)
- Bad Influence (1983)
- False Accusations (1985)
- Strong Persuader (1986)
- Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1988)
- Midnight Stroll (1990)
- I Was Warned (1992)
- Shame + A Sin (1993)
- Some Rainy Morning (1995)
- Sweet Potato Pie (1997)
- Take Your Shoes Off (1999)
- Shoulda Been Home (2001)
- Time Will Tell (2003)
- Twenty (2005)
- This Time (2009)
- Nothin but Love (2012)
- In My Soul (2014)
- Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm (2017)
- That's What I Heard (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Robert Cray para niños
