SUGARAY RAYFORD
Saturday, November 19 / 1:00 p.m.
SUGARAY RAYFORD
plus VANESSA COLLIER
DoubleTree Grand Ballroom
Singer/songwriter Sugaray Rayford overcame poverty and loss as a child in the Tyler, Texas area to become a formidable blues artist.
He was named the BMA Soul Blues Artist of the Year in 2019 and 2020, and received a Grammy nomination for his 2020 album, “Somebody Save Me.” His background in gospel and soul music gave him the foundation to begin his career in San Diego, Calif., singing lead with the R&B/funk band, Urban Gypsys.
Then, smitten with the blues, he switched to singing lead with Aunt Kizzy’s Boyz in the San Diego area in 2004. Two years later, they won second place in the Memphis International Blues Challenge.
In 2008, after releasing their second CD, they won the LAMN Jam Grand Slam Urban Artist of the Year. After moving to Los Angeles and singing with the Mannish Boys (who won a BMA in 2013), Rayford launched his solo career with “Blind Alley” (2010).
Since then, he has released six more albums, for which he and his band have garnered awards and acclaim. He has also made his mark as an actor, starring in regional productions of “Ain’t Nuthin’ But the Blues” and “Low Down Dirty Blues.”