Sugaray Rayford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sugaray Rayford
Sugaray Rayford in 2017 at the Montreal International Jazz Festival
Background information
Birth name	Caron Nimoy Rayford
Born	(1969-02-13) February 13, 1969 (age 56) Smith County, Texas, United States
Genres	Electric blues, soul blues
Occupation(s)	Singer and songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	Late 1990s–present
Labels	Forty Below Records
Associated acts	The Mannish Boys

Caron Nimoy "Sugaray" Rayford, born on February 13, 1969, is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for his powerful soul blues music. Sugaray has released several albums and won many awards for his music.

His album Somebody Save Me was even nominated for a Grammy Award in 2020. A magazine called Living Blues described him as a "first-rate blues artist" with a soulful voice. His most recent album, In Too Deep, came out in March 2022.

Sugaray Rayford's Early Life

Sugaray Rayford was born in Smith County, Texas, USA. He started singing at a young age, around seven years old. He sang in church, at the Bethel Temple Church of God In Christ in Tyler, Texas. He also played the drums there.

His childhood was difficult, and his mother passed away from cancer when he was young. Rayford shared that moving in with his grandmother made life much better. He said, "We ate every day and we were in church every day, which I loved. I grew up in gospel and soul."

Starting His Music Career

When Sugaray was 12, he moved to San Diego, California. He began singing contemporary music with a group called Urban Gypsys. Later, he started focusing on blues music.

He became the lead singer for a band called Aunt Kizzy's Boyz. They released their first album, Trunk Full of Blues, in 2004. In 2006, they represented San Diego at the International Blues Challenge and finished as runners-up.

Their second album, It's Tight Like That, came out in 2007. The next year, they won an award called 'Urban Artist of the Year'.

Solo Albums and Awards

Sugaray Rayford released his first solo album, Blind Alley, in 2010. In May 2011, he joined a band called The Mannish Boys. He sang on nine songs for their album, Double Dynamite. This album won the Best Traditional Blues Album award in 2013 at the Blues Music Awards.

In May 2012, Sugaray also performed in a musical play called It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues. He moved to Los Angeles and did vocal work for TV shows and movies.

His album Dangerous was released in 2013. Other famous musicians like Kim Wilson and Sugar Ray Norcia joined him on this album. Dangerous was very popular, reaching high spots on blues music charts.

In 2014, Sugaray performed at the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon.

Recent Albums and Achievements

On May 19, 2015, Sugaray released his album Southside. Another musician, Bob Corritore, played harmonica on it. His fourth album, The World That We Live In, came out on September 1, 2017.

In 2018, Sugaray was nominated for four Blues Music Awards. In 2019, he won the 'Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year' award. His fifth album, Somebody Save Me, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2020.

In May 2020, Sugaray received two more Blues Music Awards. He won 'B.B King Entertainer of the Year' and 'Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year'. His latest album, In Too Deep, was released on March 4, 2022. This album was named 'Soul Blues Album of the Year' at the 2023 Blues Music Awards.

Discography

Albums

See also

• List of electric blues musicians