Larry McCray

Biography

Larry McCray, born April 5, 1960, in Magnolia, Arkansas—one of 10 children—grew up on a farm before his family relocated to Saginaw, Michigan, in 1972 seeking better economic opportunities in the automotive industry. Introduced to the guitar by his older sister Clara, who played blues in Arkansas, McCray was profoundly influenced by the 'Kings of the Blues'—Albert King, B.B. King, and Freddie King—as well as Albert Collins. After playing saxophone in school and graduating high school, he worked on the General Motors assembly line while forming the McCray Brothers with siblings Carl on bass and Steve on drums, performing locally in the early 1980s and blending traditional blues with rock elements.[2][3][4][5]

By the late 1980s, McCray's guitar prowess and vocals caught the ear of Virgin Records executive John Wooler, who signed him as the inaugural artist on his new Point Blank Records label. His debut album, Ambition (1990), recorded in a Detroit basement studio, fused blues, rock, and soul, earning critical acclaim and launching his career. Throughout the 1990s, he defined blues rock with albums like Delta Hurricane (1993, produced by Mike Vernon), Meet Me at the Lake (1996), and Born to Play the Blues (1998), while touring and collaborating with labelmate Albert Collins. In 2000, he founded Magnolia Records, releasing Believe It and later a live album, Live on Interstate 75 (2006).[1][2][3][4][5]

McCray's career continued with performances alongside blues icons like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Keb' Mo', and Joe Bonamassa, as well as rock legends including the Allman Brothers and Dickie Betts. After a hiatus, he released Blues Without You in 2022 on Joe Bonamassa's Keeping the Blues Alive Records, produced by Bonamassa and Josh Smith, which topped Blues Rock Review's 2022 albums and earned a Blues Music Award nomination. His style mixes raw Delta blues with amplified Chicago blues, and a new album is slated for 2025, affirming his enduring legacy in contemporary blues rock.[3][4][5]

Fun Facts

• McCray's debut album Ambition was recorded in a friend's basement studio in Detroit, marking him as the first signing to Point Blank Records.[1][2][4]
• He worked on the General Motors assembly line after high school before breaking into music, reflecting his rust belt roots.[3][4]
• In 2015, he received the 'Sunshine' Sonny Payne Award for Blues Excellence at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in his birth state.[5]
• His 2022 album Blues Without You was his first original material in nearly 15 years and was named the No. 1 Album of 2022 by Blues Rock Review.[4][5]

Associated Acts

• The Larry McCray Band - eponymous

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Albert King - Early stylistic influence via sister's introduction (Transformative blues music) [1960s-1970s]
• B.B. King - Early stylistic influence, later met and performed with (Kings of the Blues inspiration) [1960s-1990s]
• Freddie King - Early stylistic influence as one of the 'Kings of the Blues' (Transformative blues music) [1960s-1970s]
• Albert Collins - Early influence and later labelmate collaboration (Point Blank Records tours) [Late 1980s-1990s]

Key Collaborators

• Albert Collins - Labelmate and touring partner on Point Blank Records (1990s tours and performances) [1990s]
• Carl McCray - Brother and band member in McCray Brothers (Local performances) [Early 1980s]
• Steve McCray - Brother and drummer in McCray Brothers and Delta Hurricane (Delta Hurricane album) [Early 1980s-1993]
• Mike Vernon - Producer (Delta Hurricane) [1993]
• Joe Bonamassa - Producer and label partner (Blues Without You, documentary and video for 'Arkansas') [2021-2022]
• Josh Smith - Producer (Blues Without You) [2021-2022]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #electric-blues