Stephen Bray facts for kids

Stephen Pate Bray, born on December 23, 1956, is an American songwriter, drummer, and music producer. He is famous for working with the pop superstar Madonna. He was also a member of the band Breakfast Club. In 2017, he won a Grammy Award for his work on the musical The Color Purple. Stephen Bray also owns his own recording studios, called Saturn Sound, and a music label, Soultone Records.

Stephen Bray's Music Career

Stephen Bray started learning music through private lessons in Detroit. He later studied at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor. In 1978, he continued his music education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Working with Madonna

Stephen Bray and Madonna knew each other before she became famous. They dated when Madonna was studying dance at the University of Michigan in 1976. In November 1980, Madonna called Bray to join her in New York. At that time, she was part of a band called Breakfast Club.

Madonna wanted to start a new band and asked Bray to play the drums. They formed a band called Emmy and the Emmys. They also lived together for a while in Manhattan.

In 1981, Madonna signed a recording contract with Gotham Management. Her manager wanted her to work with other musicians. Madonna still wanted Bray as her drummer, but her manager preferred to keep their work separate. Madonna was interested in dance music, and she and Stephen Bray kept working on dance-style songs together.

After Madonna signed with Sire Records in 1982, she did not work with Bray on her first album. However, they continued to work together on her second album, Like a Virgin, released in 1984. They wrote and produced many big hit songs in the 1980s.

The songs they created often had a special structure. Many of them would repeat the second verse and the bridge. Then, the song would slowly fade out with the chorus. Their musical partnership ended after they worked on Madonna's album Like a Prayer in 1989.

Stephen Bray and Breakfast Club

After Madonna became a huge star, Stephen Bray rejoined the band Breakfast Club. The band signed with ZE Records and later with MCA. Their first album, also called Breakfast Club, came out in early 1987. It included the Top 10 hit song "Right on Track".

Bray helped write most of the songs on the album with his bandmate Dan Gilroy. He also produced several of the songs. The band's second album was never released, and Breakfast Club broke up soon after.

The Color Purple Musical

In 2005, Stephen Bray made his debut on Broadway. He worked as a composer and lyricist for the Broadway musical version of Alice Walker's book The Color Purple. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his amazing work on the show. In 2017, he won a Grammy Award for the musical's album.

Stephen Bray's Personal Life

Stephen Bray lives in Studio City, California. He is married to Stephanie Allain, who is a movie producer. His brother, Kevin Bray, is a music video director.

Stephen Bray's Music Discography

Singles

Unreleased Songs

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Bray para niños Category:Songs written by Stephen Bray