Stephen Bray facts for kids

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

Music Career

Stephen Bray started learning music in Detroit. He took private lessons to improve his skills. Later, he went to Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor. In 1978, he continued his music studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Working with Madonna

Stephen Bray met Madonna before she became famous. They formed a band called Emmy and the Emmys. Stephen played the drums for the band. They also lived in The Music Building in Manhattan for a while.

Madonna later got a music contract with Gotham Management. She wanted Stephen to be her drummer. However, her manager wanted other musicians for her band. Madonna was interested in dance music, so she and Stephen kept working on dance songs together.

In 1982, Madonna signed with Sire Records. Stephen did not work on her first album. But they worked together on her second album, Like a Virgin (1984). They wrote and produced many big hit songs in the 1980s. Their songs often had a special structure. They would repeat parts of the song before ending with the chorus. Their work together finished after Madonna's album Like a Prayer (1989).

The Breakfast Club Band

After Madonna became a big star, Stephen Bray rejoined the band Breakfast Club. The band signed with ZE Records and later with MCA. Their first album came out in 1987. It included the Top 10 hit song "Right on Track". Stephen helped write most of the songs on the album. He also produced some of them. The band's second album was never released. Breakfast Club broke up soon after that.

The Color Purple Musical

In 2005, Stephen Bray started working on Broadway. He was the composer and lyricist for the musical version of Alice Walker's book The Color Purple. This means he wrote the music and the words for the songs. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his work. He also won a Grammy Award for the musical in 2017.

Personal Life

Stephen Bray lives in Studio City, California. His wife is Stephanie Allain. She is a movie producer. She produced movies like Hustle & Flow.

Discography

Singles

Unreleased Songs

See also

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