by Hongying Neubauer

I’m sitting here listening to The Robert Cray Band playing their monster hit Right Next Door (Because Of Me). Cray blends his soulful vocals and exceptional guitar skills with traditional blues to tell a story that the protagonist’s guilty feeling of causing the woman next door to be accused of unfaithful to the one who really loves her: “I can hear the couple fighting right next door, Their angry words sound clear through these thin walls…because of me…In the silence, I can hear their breaking hearts.” The whole performance of the song conveys inner turmoil and raw emotions. “Right Next Door (Because of Me)” became one of Robert Cray’s signature songs and exemplifies his ability to create timeless blues-infused music that transcends genres. I have never heard about him until learning the music history of Tacoma.

Robert Cray was not born in Tacoma though. Columbus, Georgia is his birthplace. Coming from a family with a military background, Cray had chances to visit different places but was influenced firmly by his parents’ passion for music. “My dad would listen to a lot of gospel music on the weekends, during the week he would listen to secular music -Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. My mom was big into the singers at that time—Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson.”(IM, 2014) Cray recalled the time the family was stationed in Germany. The family moved back to the US and settled in Tacoma, Washington in 1964. When living in the Pacific Northwest, he found there was nothing he could do but play music. He started to learn from reading books and seeing musicians he admired so much including Jimi Hendrix. Robert Johnson was the one that influenced Cray’s teenage music dream and got Cray into the blues phase. Cray’s musical commences going back to his high school years at Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia. And Lakes High School in Lakewood, Washington is a place where his music dreams take off. Two years after he graduated from Lakes High, all the way from when he was born as “Bobby Cray” formed his own band — The Robert Cray Band.

        The Robert Cray band tried any gigs that could spread its name and influence around the Puget Sound area. The same year the band was established, Cray and his crew left their home in Tacoma for Eugene, Oregon. The occasional opening gigs in Eugene got the Cary band to branch out and perform all through the West Coast. In the 1970s – 1980s, the West Coast blues scene experienced a revitalization, with a fresh wave of artists infusing the genre with new energy and influences. The era saw a fusing of traditional blues with elements of rock, soul, and R&B, creating a distinctive West Coast blues sound. Robert Cray emerged as a central figure in this scene, and his musical type played a crucial role in its success and expansion. As the band’s name was getting louder and louder, the crew was invited to play at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1977, and Cray as well played the role in a fraternity party film as a bassist in the same year. That was Cray’s cinematic first show in National Lampoon’s Animal House.

While Robert Cray gained significant recognition in the 1980s, he did not have a substantial body of original songs from the 1970s as there were not any studio albums released. It was in the 1980s that Cray’s career took off, and he began writing and releasing the songs that contribute to his success and establish his unique musical style. Robert Cray’s first album is titled Who’s Been Talkin (1980). It marked his debut as a recording artist and showcased his blues-infused style and soulful vocals. The album is a mix of original compositions and covers, including the title track, which was a rendition of the blues standard originally written by Chester Burnett (Howlin’ Wolf). Who’s Been Talkin laid the foundation for Cray’s future success and established him as a promising talent in the blues genre.

The 1980s and 1990s are the two golden stages of Cray’s career. During this period, except for his most famous and influential album Strong Persuader released in 1986, Cray won five Grammy awards for Smokin’ Gun (1986), Don’t be Afraid of Dark (1988), The Forecast (Calls for Pain) (1990), and Take Your Shores Off (1999).

His Strong Persuader marked a significant breakthrough in his career and became a commercial success. And it is his first release on Mercury FM, which was a vital resource for Cray to be well-known outside the US. The success of his Strong Persuader paved the way for Cray to become a leading figure in blues music and inspired countless aspiring musicians because of his accessible sound and contemporary approach to the blues which attracted a wide audience and helped introduce a new generation to the genre. Robert Cray has released a total of 20 studio albums spanning from Who’s Been Talkin in 1980 and continuing through to his most recent release, That’s What I Heard (2020).  Robert Cray Band is still keeping the joy going with his “Blues Rhythm.”     

Meanwhile, Cray’s old friends recall the memories of Cray’s early performing activities around the northwest Pacific area through Facebook. Cray is remembered as a down-to-earth and genuine individual. They reminisce about his humility, his love for playing the guitar, and his unwavering commitment to his musical aspirations. Many remember witnessing his growth and development as a musician, and they speak of the excitement and pride they felt as they saw him achieve success on a broader scale. Cray is a hero figure for audiences in the Tacoma area. They recall attending his early performances in local venues and witnessing his rise to prominence and remember him as a local legend who left an indelible mark on the blues genre and brought national and international recognition to their city. His success serves as a source of inspiration for aspiring musicians and a point of pride for the Tacoma community.

About the Author

Hongying Neubauer prepared this article as her final project for TARTS 225: Musical History of Tacoma, taught by Kim Davenport at the University of Washington, Tacoma. At the time she took the class in Spring Quarter 2023, she was a senior majoring in Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences.