RobeRt CRay:
all about the Blues
by bill biss
The Robert Cray Band has earned the respect of
countless blues artists such as Eric Clapton, B.B. King
and Albert Collins. Robert Cray has consistently
proven his talent, won five Grammy Awards so far...
and continued to represent as one of the blue’s
foremost interpreters for thirty years. On Friday,
April 10, The Robert Cray Band will make a special
appearance at the DreamCatcher Room at Viejas.
Here are just a few fine notes with Robert Cray.
Rage: You are a self-taught musician?
Robert Cray: That’s true. I got a guitar when The
Beatles came out and just never quit really.
Rage: What’s a “bluenatic?” (rhymes with lunatic)
RC: I penned it in part doing interviews or being
reviewed and being panned by blues aficionados,
so to speak. So, I just termed them “bluenatics.”
Rage: Who’s Been Talkin’ is a great album [Cray’s debut] but
it has an interesting back-story as well.
RC: We recorded that in 1978. Then, the record was
never released until 1980 because of financial dif-
ficulties. Shortly after the release of the record… a
few years had gone by. We pretty much didn’t think
it was ever coming out. The record was released in
1980 and then six months later, the record company
folded and the album disappeared.
Rage: I have the re-mastered LP version of Who’s Been
Talkin’ that finally did get released in 1986. You have an
incredible voice as well.
RC: Thank you.
Rage: When you first started with your band and perform-
ing, did one thing morph into another as far as singing and
writing your own songs?
RC: The guitar came first for me. I had played in some
high school bands where we had lead singers. We
had this one audition. Right before the audition
came up, the singer quit. I stepped into his place. We
Rage: You are also in the upcoming documentary film about It’s a studio record and there is no name as of yet, for
did not get the audition! After a bit, it took a little bit
Robert M. Knight called Rock Prophecies. it. We are looking to have it out this July. I did write
of confidence. Basically it started [singing], when The
RC: Yeah. The photographer. Over the years, Robert some songs…not all of them, but I did.
Cray Band started, which was 1974.
has done a lot of work for us and photographed on
his own in a lot of different situations with a lot of dif- Rage: If you had to explain blues music to someone who had
Rage: Okay.
ferent people around us. I wish him all the best. Rock never heard it or of it, what would you say?
RC: I played guitar and sang. But, I couldn’t talk to an
Prophecies should be great. RC: I would tell that person that a blues song is a song
audience. I was completely just afraid of the audi-
about a personal situation. Whether it is a song about
ence. So, our bass player Richard Cousins would talk
Rage: Are you working on new material at all right now? your life, or trying to live your life or living with the
to the audience. It is still somewhat of a chore for me
RC: Yeah, we’ll be in process of mixing the new album loss of love or the loss of a friend. That’s what I would
to this day (laughter).
after we get back from this leg we are going out on. tell that person.
APRIL 2009 | RAGE monthly 27
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