Robert Cray's fusion of blues, R & B, jazz, pop, and soul music earned him critical acclaim and widespread recognition as a critical figure in the "blues boom" of the 1980s and 1990s. Indeed, his original approach to the genre brought an entirely new audience to what had been considered a dying art form. Though blues purists dismissed him as a "tin-eared yuppie blues wannabe," Cray nonetheless enjoyed success unmatched by any other blues artist.

Born into an army family in 1953, Cray had the opportunity to live in many different regions of the United States before his family settled in Tacoma, Washington, when Cray was fifteen years old. Already a devotee of soul and rock music, Cray became interested in blues after legendary Texas guitarist Albert Collins played at his high school graduation dance. Cray formed his first band in 1974, and this group eventually became...