Born on August 1: Robert Cray, the blues in his blood…

The guitarist and singer, born in 1953 in Columbus, Georgia, ranks among the greatest blues musicians of his generation

The son of a military man, he spent his youth between the United States and Germany before his family settled in Seattle. He didn’t start playing guitar until his teens, but his progress was extremely rapid. When you have a gift like his, it’s just a little easier than for the average person!

Influenced by artists such as B.B. King, Albert King, Howlin’ Wolf, and Magic Sam, he has always struck a balance between catchy melodies and solos that are at times acrobatic. While he was still wavering between pursuing a degree in architecture and embarking on a career as a professional musician, one encounter would prove decisive. At the age of 20, he had already seen Muddy Waters and Freddie King perform live, as well asAlbert Collins, nicknamed “The Master of the Telecaster” (the most famous of Fender’s guitars). The blues legend agreed to meet the young man and, impressed by his ease on the instrument, became a sort of mentor to someone whose sole dream was to form the Robert Cray Band. This dream came true in the early 1980s with the album *Who’s Been Talkin’*, which laid the foundation for his distinctive style blending blues and rock.

In the 1980s, Cray released a string of hit albums, including “Bad Influence” (1983) and the Grammy Award-winning “Strong Persuader” (1986). He thus played a major role in the blues revival by expanding the genre’s traditional audience. His often languid guitar playing and smooth voice are the hallmarks of his repertoire.

While touring regularly, he also took the time to collaborate with other legends such as Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, and Jimmie Vaughan (the older brother of the late Stevie Ray). In 1986, the album Showdown!, recorded with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland, remains one of the defining moments of his career, earning him a total of five Grammy Awards and an induction into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.

He now has some twenty studio albums to his credit, with his most recent, “That’s What I Heard,” released in 2020.

Photo: Robert Cray on stage at the Torhout Festival on July 5, 1986