Bobby Murray Band

Blues guitarist, bandleader, songwriter and producer Bobby Murray played with the late, great Etta James for twenty two years. Bobby has performed on three Grammy winning recordings – two w/Etta and one w/B.B. King. Most recently, Murray was awarded the Detroit Blues Society’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award and voted Outstanding Blues/R&B Instrumentalist by Detroit Music Awards.

Detroit has a long history of standout blues performers, many who travelled north from Mississippi and other Southern states. Guitarist Bobby Murray is another talented performer who migrated to Detroit, albeit from the West Coast.

Murray’s roots with the blues run deep, back to high school when he and bandmate Robert Cray saw Albert Collins perform at their high school graduation in Tacoma, Washington. In the ensuing decades, Murray amassed a considerable resume of his own.

He performed in Etta James’ backup ensemble, the Roots Band, for over two decades, including shows at the WOMAD festival, at the Barcelona Olympics, and at the inaugural for President Bill Clinton. You may have heard his guitar work on James’ song “Blues is My Business,” that was used on “The Sopranos;” or seen him perform on “The Tonight Show,” “Austin City Limits” or “Late Night with David Letterman.”

Bobby performed with Collins off and on for 20 years and has performed with or recorded with many other blues greats, including Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Guitar Watson, Lowell Fulson, Taj Mahal, Charlie Musselwhite and Otis Rush.

Murray recorded with Cray and B.B. King on the song “Playing with My Friends,” from King’s Grammy Award-winning album “Blues Summit.” He also performed on James’ Grammy winning recordings “Let’s Roll” and “Blues to the Bone.”

Murray, who moved to Detroit in 1996, was selected by the Detroit Blues Society as a recipient of the group’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. And in 2012, Bobby won a Detroit Music Award as Outstanding Blues/R&B Instrumentalist.

But, don’t get the wrong idea, Bobby’s not resting on his laurels. Murray is better than ever, fronting his own Bobby Murray Band and often collaborating with Detroit’s other top performers. His moving blues guitar work, with influences ranging from jazz to funk, and exciting stage performances make him one of the Motor City’s treasures.