Robert Cray: Grammy Winner American Blues guitarist and singer
Who is Robert Cray?
Considered the most successful blues artist of his generation, Robert Cray was both critically and commercially triumphant. His songs hit the top of rock and pop charts while other blues artists sold in tens of thousands.
The reason behind Robert Cray’s popularity in the ’80s and the ’90s blues scene is his primary focus on the lyrics rather than musical heroics. Nonetheless, Cray was a great musician with incredible guitar skills.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Robert William Cray |
| Known as | Robert Cray |
| Birthday | August 1, 1953 |
| Age | 69 years old |
| Sun sign | Leo |
| Traits | Positive: Confident, leader, generous, and ambitious Negative: Attention-seeker, jealous, and possessive |
| Birthplace | Columbus, Georgia |
| Education | Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia |
| Net worth | USD 5 Million |
| Social media | Facebook YouTube |
Early Life and Childhood
On August 1, 1953, Robert Cray was born in Columbus, Georgia, in a military family. His father was stationed at Fort Benning as a quartermaster in the Army.
During Robert’s younger days, the Cray family often moved from place to place.
However, Robert did not let this get in the way of his education and completed his high school at two different schools, Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia, and Lakes High School in Lakewood, Washington.
Furthermore, Robert’s musical beginnings were also from his high school. He started a blues band at Denbigh High School named ‘The One-Way Street.’
Personal life
Nothing much is known about the personal life of Robert Cray except for the fact that he married Susan Turner-Cray in 1990. So it’s been more than twenty years of their marriage. However, there are no reports of them having any children.
Career
By age 20, Robert had already met his idols like Freddie King, Albert Collins, and Muddy Waters in concerts. Their performances inspired him to continue his music, so he created another band in college and started performing on the West Coast.
Likewise, Robert Cray performed with other blues bands as an uncredited musician. Nevertheless, in 1980, Cray released his first album with Tomato Records named ‘Who’s been talkin’.’
However, the breakthrough in Robert Cray’s career came with his fourth album, ‘Strong Persuader,’ in 1986, for which he received a Grammy Award.
Additionally, ‘Strong Persuader’ was not the only album of Cray’s to persuade the audience. He went on to win a total of five Grammy Awards throughout his career.
More about his career and achievements are mentioned further in this article.
Robert Cray Albums
Studio albums:
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Who’s Been Talkin’ | Released: March 1980 Label: Tomato Format: CD, LP |
| Bad Influence | Released: August 1983 Label: HighTone Format: CD, LP |
| False Accusations | Released: October 1985Label: HighTone Format: CD, LP |
| Strong Persuader | Released: November 17, 1986 Label: Mercury Format: CD, LP |
| Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark | Released: August 8, 1988 Label: Mercury Format: CD, LP |
| Too Many Cooks | Released: March 1989 Label: Tomato Format: CD, LP |
| Midnight Stroll | Released: September 18, 1990 Label: Mercury Format: CD, LP |
| I Was Warned | Released: August 31, 1992 Label: Mercury Format: CD, LP |
| Shame + A Sin | Released: October 5, 1993 Label: Mercury Format: CD, LP |
| Some Rainy Morning | Released: May 9, 1995 Label: Mercury Format: CD, LP |
| Sweet Potato Pie | Released: May 5, 1997 Label: Mercury Format: CD, LP |
| Take Your Shoes Off | Released: April 27, 1999 Label: Rykodisc Format: CD, LP |
| Shoulda Been Home | Released: May 15, 2001 Label: Rykodisc Format: CD, LP |
| Time Will Tell | Released: July 1, 2003 Label: Sanctuary Format: CD, LP |
| Twenty | Released: May 24, 2005 Label: Sanctuary Format: CD, LP |
| This Time | Released: August 11, 2009 Label: Vanguard Format: CD, LP |
| Nothin But Love | Released: August 21, 2012 Label: Provogue Format: CD, LP |
| In My Soul | Released: March 28, 2014 Label: Provogue Format: CD, LP |
| Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm | Released: April 28, 2017 Label: Warner Format: CD, LP |
| That’s What I Heard | Released: February 28, 2020 Label: Nozzle Format: CD, LP |
Collaborative albums:
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Showdown! (with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland) | Released: 1985 Label: Alligator Format: CD, LP |
| 3× Gold (with INXS and Wet Wet Wet) | Released: June 5, 1988 Label: Gold Collections Format: CD, LP |
| In Concert (with Albert Collins) | Released: 1999 Label: Indigo Format: CD, LP |
Extended plays:
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| The Midnight Stroll | Released: June 1, 1990 Label: Polygram Formats: CD, LP, MC |
Singles:
| Year | Title | US Rock | US Hot 100 | UK Singles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | “Smoking Gun” | 2 | 22 | – |
| 1987 | “I Guessed I Showed Her” | 28 | – | – |
| 1987 | “Right Next Door (Because of Me)” | 27 | 80 | 50 |
| 1987 | “Nothin’ But A Woman” | – | – | – |
| 1988 | “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” | 4 | 74 | – |
| 1988 | “Night Patrol” | – | – | – |
| 1989 | “Acting This Way” | 24 | – | – |
| 1990 | “Consequences” | 32 | – | – |
| 1990 | “The Forecast (Calls for Pain)” | 11 | – | – |
| 1992 | “Just a Loser” | 33 | – | – |
| 1993 | “1040 Blues” | – | – | – |
| 1996 | “Baby Lee” (John Lee Hooker with Robert Cray) | – | – | 65 |
| 2014 | “You Move Me” | – | – | – |
Robert Cray awards:
Grammy Awards
| Status | Category |
|---|---|
| Nominee Grammy (2018) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For the album ” Robert Cray &Hi Rhythm.” |
| Nominee Grammy (2010) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For “This Time” |
| Nominee Grammy (2007) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For “Live From Across The Pond” |
| Nominee Grammy (2006) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For “Twenty” |
| Winner Grammy (2000) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For “Take Your Shoes Off” |
| Nominee Grammy (1998) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For “Sweet Potato Pie” |
| Winner Grammy (1997) | Best Rock Instrumental Performance For “SRV Shuffle” |
| Nominee Grammy (1996) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For “Some Rainy Morning” |
| Nominee Grammy (1995) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For “Shame + A Sin” |
| Nominee Grammy (1993) | Best Contemporary Blues Album For “I Was Warned” |
| Nominee Grammy (1991) | Best Contemporary Blues Recording Shared with: The Robert Cray Band For “Midnight Stroll” |
| Winner Grammy (1989) | Best Contemporary Blues Recording Shared with: The Robert Cray Band (artist) For “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.” |
| Nominee Grammy (1989) | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals For “Acting This Way” |
| Winner Grammy (1988) | Best Contemporary Blues Recording For “Strong Persuader.” |
| Winner Grammy (1987) | Best Traditional Blues Recording For “Showdown!” |
MTV Video Music Awards (VMA)
| Status | Category |
|---|---|
| Nominee VMA (1987) | Best New Artist in a Video For Robert Cray: Smoking Gun (1986) |
Robert Cray Net worth
Thanks to his outstanding musical career and achievements, Robert Cray’s net worth is estimated to be around USD 5 million as of 2023.
Robert Cray Now
Robert Cray continues to record and tour to this day. He has appeared in several music festivals with legendary artists such as Eric Clapton.
Furthermore, Robert was inducted into Hollywood’s RockWalk in 2005. Similarly, in 2011, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Recently, in 2017, Cray also received the Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award.
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