Larry McCray | |
|---|---|
 McCray at the 2011 Monterey Blues Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Larry McCray |
| Born | April 5, 1960 Magnolia, Arkansas, United States |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Labels | Point Blank, Virgin, Atomic Theory, House of Blues, Magnolia, DixieFrog, [1] Charisma, Bear Family, [2] Keeping the Blues Alive |
| Website |
larrymccray |
Larry McCray (born April 5, 1960), is an American blues guitarist and singer from Magnolia, Arkansas. [1]
Early life
McCray, the second youngest of nine siblings, grew up living on a farm. [3] McCray learned guitar from his sister, Clara. [1] "She used to play real low-down and dirty", McCray recalled years later. [4] His family moved to Saginaw, Michigan in 1972. [4] McCray took his influence from his sibling and the three Kings ( B.B., Freddie and Albert), to playing the local club circuit, with his brothers Carl on bass guitar and Steve on drums. [1]
Music career
After high school, McCray worked at General Motors on the assembly line, before recording his debut album, Ambition (1991), via Point Blank Records. It was recorded in a friend's basement recording studio in Detroit. He was soon touring with a fellow record label artist, Albert Collins. [1] His 1993 follow-up, Delta Hurricane, was produced by the veteran British blues devotee, Mike Vernon. [1]
In 1999, McCray recorded a cover version of Bob Dylan's " All Along the Watchtower" for the tribute album, Tangled Up in Blues. In 2000, McCray founded his own independent record label, Magnolia Records, and Believe It was its first release. [3] The same year, McCray played alongside Jimmy Thackery, as guest guitarists on Sista Monica Parker's album, People Love the Blues. [5] Magnolia released McCray's first live album, Live on Interstate 75, in mid-2006. This was followed with Larry McCray, in 2007.
His 2015 tour commenced at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena-West Helena, Arkansas on October 11, where McCray was honored with the "Sunshine" Sonny Payne Award for Blues Excellence. [6]
Discography
- Ambition (1990)
- Delta Hurricane (1993)
- Meet Me at the Lake with the Bluegills (1996)
- Born to Play the Blues (1998)
- Believe It (2000)
- Blues is My Business (2001)
- Live on Interstate 75 (2006)
- Larry McCray (2007)
- The Gibson Sessions (2015) [7] [8]
- Blues Without You (2022) [9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Bill Dahl (1960-04-05). "Larry McCray | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
- ^ "Larry McCray – Live On Interstate 75". Bearfamily.com. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ a b [1] Archived March 31, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books Limited. pp. 141–142. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
- ^ Richard Skelly. "Sista Monica Parker | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
- ^ "The Official Website for Larry McCray". Larrymccray.club. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
- ^ "Larry McCray | Discography". AllMusic. 1960-04-05. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
- ^ "Bluesman Larry McCray gives his rock favorites a ride on new album". Themorningsun.com. 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
- ^ "LARRY MCCRAY – BLUES WITHOUT YOU (KTBA RECORDS)". Velvet Thunder. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- 1960 births
- Living people
- American blues guitarists
- American male guitarists
- American blues singers
- American male singers
- Blues musicians from Arkansas
- Songwriters from Arkansas
- Singers from Arkansas
- Guitarists from Arkansas
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- American male songwriters