BOBBY MURRAY

 

Bobby Murray (born June 9, 1953) is an American electric blues guitarist, songwriter and record producer who has played in Etta James' backing band for twenty three years, performed on three Grammy Award winning recordings with James and B.B. King and released four solo albums. In 2011, the Detroit Blues Society granted Murray their Lifetime Achievement Award. Murray currently leads his own band in Metro Detroit and has won several Detroit Music Awards. His latest solo recording, I'm Sticking With You, was released in 2013.

His guitar playing was mainly influenced by Albert Collins and B.B. King. Murray currently resides in White Lake, Michigan, United States.

Murray was born in Nagoya, Japan, to a Japanese mother and an Irish father.Growing up in a military family setting, he was later raised in Tacoma, Washington. Murray attended the same high school as Robert Cray and they engaged Albert Collins to play at the school's graduation party.

He started his musical career playing in the blues clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area, having originally formed an ensemble that became Robert Cray and the Crayolas. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Murray supplied guitar backing for Frankie Lee Sonny Rhodes Mark Naftalin and numerous others. He also at various times appeared on the same stage as Albert Collins, Charlie Musselwhite, Otis Rush, Jimmy Witherspoon and John Lee Hooker. In 1988, he was invited to join Etta James' backing ensemble, the Roots Band. Murray has worked with her for more than two decades.His other playing and recording duties have seen Murray work with Albert King, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Taj Mahal, Percy Mayfield, Sugar Pie DeSanto and Lowell Fulson.

He appeared on B.B. King's Grammy Award recognised album, Blues Summit, where he again teamed up with Cray on the track, "Playing With My Friends." Murray also played guitar on James' Grammy winning recordings, Let's Roll and Blues to the Bone. In addition, Murray played on the Etta James song, "Blues is My Business", which was used in the television drama series, The Sopranos.

Through his work with James, Murray appeared on other television programs such as The Tonight Show, Austin City Limits and Late Night with David Letterman. On stage he played at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, the WOMAD Festival and the inaugural celebration for Bill Clinton being elected as the 42nd President of the United States.

Murray's debut album, The Blues is Now (1996), featured Frankie Lee and Freddie Hughes on vocals.The Allmusic journalist, Thom Owens, commented about Murray's work on the recording, "he's a fine guitarist, as he proves here, turning out jazzy, classy solos that separate him from the rest of the crowd." In 1999, the follow-up album, Waiting for Mr. Goodfingers..., was issued by No Cover Productions. A live album, Live & Lowdown! was released in May 2006.

In May 2010, the Bobby Murray Band played at the Scarab Club in Detroit, Michigan.

In 2011 Murray received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Detroit Blues Society. Murray also received Detroit Music Awards in the Outstanding Instrumentalist (Blues) and Outstanding Blues Performer/Group categories.

Murray's latest project is Love Letters From Detroit, a musical revue/ensemble with a debut release scheduled for 2021. Initially called Bobby Murray Presents the Music of Etta James, one of the performances was recorded as an hour-long documentary, produced and released by PBS affiliate WKAR and broadcast nationally. First conceived as a show to honor and celebrate Murray's years with Etta James, the revue became an annual event with sold-out performances at clubs and festivals in Michigan. While Love Letters From Detroit originally featured songs made famous by James, Murray will include original songs in the 2021 release, engineered and co-produced by guitarist Josh Ford. Murray's lineup includes vocalists Tosha Owens, Lenny Watkins, Barbara Payton, Jay Jolley, Raye Williams, and Greg Nagy. The band features keyboardists Dale Grisa and Mark LoDuca, drummer Renell Gonsalves, bassists David Uricek and John Barron, guitarist Kris Kurzawa, and The Woodward Horns.

Discography

Albums

Year Title Record label

1996 The Blues is Now Viceroots Records

1999 Waiting for Mr. Goodfingers... No Cover Productions

2006 Live & Lowdown! No Cover Productions

2013 I'm Sticking With You Motorcitykidz Productions