The Robert Cray Band performs at Pepperdine

Robert Cray has been bridging the lines between blues, soul, and R&B for the past four decades;
he has won five GRAMMY Awards, is a Blues Hall of Fame inductee, is a recipient of the
Americana Lifetime achievement award, and has performed in countless tours and has released
over 20 acclaimed albums.

Formed in 1974 and based in the Northwest, the Robert Cray Band played gigs in Portland and
Eugene, OR, before branching out farther on the West Coast, including Seattle and the San
Francisco area. Early on, the band toured with electric blues guitarist Albert Collins, and by 1983,
the group was sharing the stage at Carnegie Hall with the likes of John Lee Hooker and Willie
Dixon.
Credited by Rolling Stone for reinventing the blues with his “distinct razor-sharp guitar playing,”
Cray “introduced a new generation of mainstream rock fans to the blues” with his album Strong
Persuader in 1986.
Known for more than just his guitar skills, this multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer has
played with a cross-section of legendary musicians, including Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Eric
Clapton and Tina Turner.
Cray was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011. At 57, he was one of the youngest living
recipients of the prestigious honor. The members of the Robert Cray Band include Les Falconer on
percussion, Dover Weinberg on keyboards and Richard Cousins on bass guitar.

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University