High school graduation can often provide memories that last a lifetime
For Ferndale
blues guitarist Bobby Murray, it was a day that changed his life forever.
“It was June 9,
1971,” Murray said. “I remember the date, because it was my birthday and Albert Collins performed at our high school graduation. I turned 18, saw
Albert Collins and graduated from high school. It just blew me away.”
 | |
| Bobby Murray (Photo by Joe Ballor) |
Also watching
Collins at the ceremony at Lakes High School in Lakewood, Wash., was Murray’s
classmate, singer-guitarist Robert Cray.
“I was sitting
right next to Robert and our jaws just dropped,” Murray recalled. “I knew right
then and there that was what I wanted to do. It changed Robert too. It was
great because we were both able to continue a relationship with Albert until he
passed away (in 1993).”
At the time,
Murray, who opens for the Robert Cray Band at the Royal Oak Music Theatre
Sunday, was in a blues-rock band with Cray called Steakface.
“We were best pals and hung out every day
after school,” Murray said. “We had band practice five days a week. Robert had
Hendrix, Beck, Clapton, and those guys down pat by the time he was 15 or so. He
was really a prodigy. But, you could almost sort of tell that there was a part
of him that he was still searching for that he hadn’t found.
 |
| Bobby Murray and Robert Cray, circa 1970. |
“Then, when he
got the blues, you could see that it all just made sense. You could just tell.
When he really got involved in the blues, the deep gospel-soul blues stuff,
that was really his voice. … Seeing Albert Collins crystallized everything.”
After Steakface,
Murray and Cray each played in other bands for a year or so before joining
forces again in the blues/soul band Robert Cray and the Crayolas. The band
enjoyed regional success in the Northwest, but Murray eventually left to travel to Los Angeles
and pursue his own career.
“The position I
play is kind of like a quarterback, and there was already a Hall of Famer
(Cray) right here in the making. … He always encouraged me, and God knows I
learned my share of licks from him. He really opened me up to some things about
playing. ”
Murray worked
with numerous blues artists including Frankie Lee, Johnny “Guitar” Watson,
Percy Mayfield, Pee Wee Crayton, Otis Rush, and Lowell Fulson. He joined
Collins’ band and, in 1988, was invited to be a member of Etta James’ backup
group, the Roots Band. He performed with the legendary singer until her death
earlier this year.
Murray played on
two of James’ Grammy winning recordings and on B.B. King’s Grammy award winning
album “Blues Summit,” where he again teamed up with Cray on the track “Playing
With My Friends.”
He’s appeared on
numerous television programs, including “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night with
David Letterman,” and also performed live at the 1992 Summer Olympics and
President Bill Clinton’s inaugural celebration. He received the Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Detroit Blues Society in 2011.
 |
| Murray and Cray, circa 2009. (Photo by Tim McBride) |
Murray has
recorded three solo albums and has another release planned in early 2013. At
Sunday’s concert, he will release the album’s first single, “Finders Keepers.”
Cray, meanwhile,
became a top recording artist, with a career that includes five Grammy awards.
In 2011, Cray was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.
“I felt years
before that that he was going to be a star,” Murray said. “He was just that
talented and that gifted. The whole package was there.”
On Sunday, Murray
and Cray will also be joined in the reunion by another former member of the
Crayolas (and former Roots Band member), bassist Richard Cousins, who recently
rejoined the Robert Cray Band. His tenure with the band began with its
barnstorming regional origins in Oregon in 1974 and continued until 1991.
Cray’s longtime keyboardist, Jim Pugh, is another longtime buddy. It was Pugh
who put a good word in for Murray when he was being considered as guitarist for
the Roots Band.
Murray and Cray
still see each other occasionally.
“Not as often as
I did when I toured with Etta, because we would bump into each other on the
road a bit,” Murray said. “But, we’ve remained friends and keep in contact.”
He’s not sure if
he will be invited to jam with Cray on Sunday.
“I know we will
be hanging out … that’s for sure. I’ll get a chance to see him and get caught
up a little bit. It will be a big treat.”
Talent plus hard
work equals success
Cray not only
sings and plays guitar (he’s the only axeman in his band), but writes music
too.
He wrote all the songs on
his new release, “Nothin But Love” (Mascot Records).
“He’s really
musical,” Murray said. “I’ve seen him pick up a violin for the first time and
get music out of it. He got behind a set of drums and could play it.”
Cray played bass
in an uncredited role in the house party band Otis Day and the Knights
in the movie “Animal House.”
“He has such a
great ear and a wonderful touch. He was the guy in the band who would figure
out the songs and we would learn them from Robert. He has such a great ear.”
Murray remembers
how Cray worked hard to utilize his considerable talent.
“I remember the
work ethic even in high school. We rehearsed five days a week, and if we needed
to do an extra one, we would. It was just a given. That was pretty good learning
point for me too.
“Of course, it
rains a lot up in Washington state too.”
Bobby Murray and
Friends
Backing Murray up
on Sunday will be a revue of talented Motor City musicians: vocalists Lenny
Watkins and Tom Hogarth, guitarist Mark “Pazman” Pasman, bassist/vocalist Dave
Uricek, keyboardist/vocalist Mark Thibodeau, and drummer Renell Gonsalves.
FYI
The Robert Cray
Band and special guest Bobby Murray and Friends perform an all-ages show at 7
p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak.
Tickets are $35-$45. Call 248-399-2980
or visit www.royaloakmusictheatre.com.
To send info to
JB Blues, please email Joe.Ballor@dailytribune.com
