Robert Cray in concert, 2007

Robert Cray born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, is an American blues guitarist and singer, songwriter and recording artist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band, as well as enjoyed an acclaimed solo career.
Cray started playing guitar in his early teens while attending High School in  the state of Virginia, where his love of blues and soul music flourished.  Originally, he had plans to become an architect, but around the same time that he began to study architectural design, he formed the band Steakface, described as “the best band from Lakewood you never heard of”
By the age of twenty, Cray had seen his heroes Albert Collins, Freddie King and Muddy Waters in concert and decided to form his own band playing the west coast college circuit.
In the late 1970s while living in Eugene, Oregon, he formed the Robert Cray Band. In the 1978 film, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Cray was the uncredited bassist in the house party band Otis Day and the Knights.
After several years of regional success, Cray was signed to Mercury Records and in 1986 his third album release, Strong Persuader, received a Grammy Award, while the crossover single “Smokin’ Gun” provided him wider appeal and name recognition.
By now, Cray was an opening act for such major stars as Eric Clapton and sold out larger venues as a solo artist.
In 1992 Cray had the opportunity to play alongside John Lee Hooker on his album Boom Boom, playing the guitar solo in the song “Same Old Blues Again”. He is also featured on the 1989 Hooker album, The Healer in which he plays a guitar solo on the song “Baby Lee”. The entire Robert Cray Band backs Hooker on the title track of Hooker’s 1992 album “Mr. Lucky”, where Cray plays lead guitar, sings, and banters with Hooker throughout the song.
Cray was invited to play at the “Guitar Legends” concerts in Seville, Spain at the 1992 Expo, where he played one of his signature tracks, “Phone Booth”. One of his heroes Albert Collins was also on that bill.
In 2006-2007 he toured the world supporting Eric Clapton, and in 2011, Robert Cray was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
He continues to record and tour.
Source: Wikipedia