Blues icon. Soul man. Rock and roller. Robert Cray is all these things – and more. The Georgia-born, Washington-raised musician first picked up a guitar after seeing The Beatles on TV. Then, having witnessed Jimi Hendrix perform in Seattle, he determined that his destiny would follow a similar path. And so it has: across the past half-century, Robert Cray has developed into one of American music’s most singular artists.

“I guess you’d have to say that we were lucky,” reflects Cray on his life in music, “because, growing up in the 1960s, the different music played on the radio really opened us up. I mean, we even had Albert Collins play our high school graduation party.”

From forming a teenage garage band to striding the stage alongside several of the world’s greatest guitarists, Robert Cray’s story is one of struggle and commitment. That struggle and commitment led to phenomenal success—selling millions of albums and countless concert tickets, winning five Grammy Awards, being inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, receiving the Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award, and designing two signature Fender guitars. Yet for Robert, what has always mattered most is the music. Every note he plays counts, every song he sings is delivered as if it were his last. Integrity and intensity have guided Cray’s career; he has never cheapened his output or delivered a substandard performance. His dedication to making the highest-quality music has earned him a loyal audience and the respect of many of popular music’s most legendary figures.

Think about it: Robert Cray has shared stage and studio with John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Albert Collins, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Memphis Horns and the Hi Rhythm Section. His stinging guitar work, soulful voice, and skills as a bandleader and performer mark him as a keeper of the flame for American roots music—an artist who never fails to deliver.

“We were so lucky just to be able to see them,” says Cray of trading guitar licks with legends of blues, rock, and soul, “let alone share the stage with them—what an experience!”

Cray’s rise to the top was, like his music, a slow burn. He first built a following in small towns across the Pacific Northwest. Even before Cray had a record deal, he enjoyed local-hero status—so much so that in 1978 he was cast, as a musician, in Animal House, the blockbuster comedy that made John Belushi famous. That same year Cray recorded his debut album, Who’s Been Talkin’, though Tomato Records’ internal problems delayed its release until 1980. And just as the album was earning great reviews, Tomato collapsed into bankruptcy. Young Robert could certainly have claimed he “had the blues,” but instead of complaining he persevered, committed—as he remains today—to taking his music to the people.

After Tomato, Cray and his band—now consisting of Richard Cousins (bass, with Cray since high school), Dover Weinberg (keyboards), and Les Falconer (drums)—used the momentum the album had given them to play further afield. Around this time Cray became friends with a young guitarist from Texas: Stevie Ray Vaughan. “We played in 1979 at the San Francisco Blues Festival,” recalls Cray. “I watched Stevie’s show and he’s just smoking. Afterwards Richard and I went up and chatted with him and we just hit it off. Stevie was great—if we were in Austin he’d always come and join us on stage.”

Signing to Hightone, Cray’s 1983 album Bad Influence established him internationally. He was invited to play Carnegie Hall, toured Europe, and later found Eric Clapton recording Bad Influence’s title track. Cray’s 1985 album False Accusations increased his standing as the foremost singer of blues-noir songs, while that year’s Showdown!—a sizzling collaboration with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland—won him huge acclaim: the new guy was the real deal.

Signing to Mercury Records, Cray’s 1986 album Strong Persuader made him the first blues/soul musician to break through in the MTV era. The album won rave reviews from pop and rock critics, topped charts worldwide, put Cray on the cover of Rolling Stone, and earned him the 1988 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Recording. With its songs of infidelity, guilt, and unease—unconventional for Top 40—Strong Persuader proved so powerful that it broke barriers, sold millions, and became extremely influential. (2026 marks its 40th anniversary.) Cray’s breakthrough helped both young and older blues and soul musicians gain wider attention and radio play; John Lee Hooker’s career resurrection with The Healer soon followed, and Robert appears on that seminal album.

“It was great to be able to travel around the world,” says Cray of Strong Persuader’s success. “It afforded us a lot of great opportunities that we were lucky to experience.” Cray is being modest: suddenly he was one of the hottest guitarists in the world. Tina Turner invited him to support her huge European tour—every night, after playing with his band, Cray would join her onstage to play “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Then Keith Richards called, requesting he join the band backing Chuck Berry for Taylor Hackford’s documentary Hail! Hail! Rock ’N’ Roll. There Cray not only played with the mercurial Berry (alongside Linda Ronstadt, Etta James, and many others), but also formed a friendship with Steve Jordan, drummer for the project and Richards’ solo band.

Now internationally famous, Cray found himself in great demand. He toured with the Rolling Stones and played with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Eric Clapton. He headlined major music festivals—from Glastonbury in the UK to the Crossroads Guitar Festival in the US—and continued evolving his sound across a series of strong albums throughout the 1990s.

Cray’s songwriting has examined aging, love, loneliness, domestic turmoil, and U.S. politics. As an artist, Robert Cray has aged like fine wine. His voice has grown in range and expressiveness, qualities he has brought to masterful interpretations of Southern soul standards such as “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” (William Bell), “Your Good Thing Is About to End” (Mable John), and “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” (Otis Redding). His guitar playing has gained greater depth as well—a growl that can caress one moment and signal emotional upheaval the next.

His recent run of albums—2014’s In My Soul, 2017’s Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm, and 2020’s masterful That’s What I Heard (all produced by Steve Jordan, now drummer for the Stones)—are among the finest of his career. Every song is deeply felt, whether an agonized reflection, an angry protest, or a dance tune that gets audiences pumping. “My Baby Likes to Boogaloo” is particularly funky fun.

Across five decades, Robert Cray has created a richly inclusive American music, revitalizing both blues and soul while rocking as hard as the very best. To achieve 50 years in the music industry and still remain as fresh and committed as when he began is an achievement few can claim—but Cray can. He has released 19 studio albums, each filled with his distinctive songs; he has won five Grammy Awards; and he continues to make music that sounds like no one but Robert Cray.

“All these years we have been fortunate to do what we love doing—playing the music we love playing,” says Cray with a smile. “I couldn’t ask for anything more.”