Blues/Soul | Los Angeles, CA
A chance meeting in Memphis laid the groundwork for a unique musical partnership between soul-blues powerhouse Sugaray Rayford and producer/songwriter Eric Corne. Combining classic soul melodies with funky R & B grooves, raw blues power, and mashed up with modern sensibilities, the pair’s first collaboration, Somebody Save Me, earned Rayford a 2020 Grammy nomination while later that year he took home Blues Music Awards for ‘Soul Blues Male Artist and ‘B.B. King Entertainer of the Year.’
Sugaray Rayford returns with In Too Deep. Combining classic soul melodies with funky R&B grooves, raw blues power and mashed up with modern sensibilities, the album takes on issues, such as PTSD, civil rights, and social justice. In Too Deep is a poignant album that seeks to inspire and uplift.
At his core, Sugaray Rayford is a galvanizing uniter. His live shows are a party and at the end of the day, people leave feeling a sense of joy and togetherness.
Texas-born Caron “Sugaray” Rayford began his musical career at the age of 7 singing & playing drums in church, and his gospel influence can be heard and felt in his music. Rayford’s phrasing is intimate and conversational and the soulful gravel in his voice hints at his firsthand experience with hardship.
He grew up in Texas, his childhood marked by poverty and loss. He remembered a sad game he played with his brothers, a competition that determined who was skinniest by counting the number of belt holes left unused. His mother struggled to raise three boys alone while battling cancer. When she died, it was a kind of relief. “She suffered and we suffered,” Rayford said. “Then, we moved in with my grandmother and our lives were a lot better. We ate every day and we were in church every day, which I loved. I grew up in gospel and soul.”
His switch to contemporary music began about 15 years ago in the San Diego area, where he sang lead vocals with an R&B/Funk band called Urban Gypsys. After dabbling in blues, however, Suga realized that the blues was where his heart and soul belonged. So after some soul searching he left the Urban Gypsys and became lead vocalist for Aunt Kizzy’z Boyz, a Temecula area blues band. Shortly after joining the band in 2004, they released their first CD “Trunk Full of Bluez.”
Aunt Kizzy’z Boyz represented San Diego (Blues Lovers United San Diego) in Memphis for the 2006 International Blues Challenge (IBC), and brought home the 2nd place prize. The band began playing higher profile gigs and in 2007 released their 2nd CD “It’s Tight Like That.” In 2008, the Boyz won the LAMN Jam Grand Slam Urban Artist of the Year title by a landslide, beating out hundreds of competitors.
After moving to Los Angeles several years ago, Sugaray was asked to host a blues jam at Cozy’s in Sherman Oaks. It is through this venue that Sugaray met and played with innumerable world-class musicians. Suga’s desire to explore and expand his musical vision has been nourished by these musicians.
In May 2011, Sugaray became one of the lead vocalists for the Mannish Boys. He sang lead vocals on 9 songs on Double Dynamite the Mannish Boys CD that won Best Traditional Blues Album in 2013 at the Blues Music Awards.
His first solo CD Blind Alley was a self-release in 2010, which garnered critical acclaim. His second solo CD Dangerous debuted at # 2 on Blues Debut Chart, #6 on the Roots Music Chart, and #2 on The Living Blues Chart in 2013. At the 36th Blues Music Awards, Rayford was nominated in two categories; B.B. King Entertainer and Traditional Blues Male Artist.
Rayford’s latest album, Somebody Save Me, was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category.