The Robert Cray Band
Described by The Village voice as “a distinctive, multi-threat talent,” the legendary blues-soul-rock musician Robert Cray is celebrating fifty years on the road!
Friday, Mar 7, 2025, 8 p.m.
tickets
- VIP A: $142
- B: $72
- C: $57
- D: $47
Doors open 7:30 p.m.
MEMBER BENEFIT: Members receive 10% off on all tickets to this performance.
Scottsdale Arts is the only authorized ticket-seller for this event.
About the Event
Described by The Village voice as “a distinctive, multi-threat talent: fearless formal innovator, brainy bandleader, terse yet fluent guitarist,” the legendary blues-soul-rock musician Robert Cray is celebrating fifty years on the road!
Blues icon. Soul man. Rock and roller. Cray is all these things—and more. The Georgia-born, Washington-raised musician first picked up a guitar after seeing The Beatles on TV, then, having witnessed Jimi Hendrix perform in Seattle, determined that his destiny would follow a similar path. And so it turned out: across the past half-century Robert Cray has developed into one of American music’s most singular artists.
From forming a teenage garage band to striding the stage alongside several of the world’s greatest guitarists, Cray’s story is one of struggle and commitment that led to phenomenal success—selling millions of albums and countless concert tickets—while his skills as a band leader and performer mark him as a keeper of the flame for American roots music.
“Nothing beats playing live,” Cray says. “Audiences inspire me and my band to reach for the top every night.”
In addition to Cray on vocals and guitar, the Robert Cray Band consists of Richard Cousins (bass guitar), Dover Weinberg (keyboards), and George Sluppick (drums).
Cray’s commitment to making music of the highest order has won him both a loyal audience and the respect of many legendary figures. He has shared stage and/or studio with the likes of John Lee Hooker and B.B. King, Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, Tina Turner and Buddy Guy, the Memphis Horns and Hi Rhythm Section.
Other notable entries in his career include:
– Cray’s 1986 breakthrough album Strong Persuader is the best-selling blues album ever.
– Cray has won five Grammys®.
– Cray has been inducted into Hollywood’s Rock Walk and the Blues Hall of Fame.
– Cray is recipient of the Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance.
– Cray has designed two signature model Fender guitars.
“A true American original, Robert Cray has never conformed to the stereotypes associated with blues. Instead, Cray’s mapped out a music that is often stark yet always soulful.” — The Sunday Times (London)