Born in 1969 in Texas, Sugaray Rayford grew up in poverty after his mother died of cancer, finding in church and gospel music the foundations of his powerful voice. A former Marine of imposing stature (6’5″), he first made a name for himself in San Diego with the R&B/funk band Urban Gypsies before going solo in 2010 with the album Blind Alley. A soul blues singer twice named “Soul Blues Artist of the Year” at the Blues Music Awards (2019 and 2020), he earned a Grammy nomination for the album Somebody Save Me (2019). Often compared to Muddy Waters, Otis Redding and Teddy Pendergrass, he now builds his career from Los Angeles.