Sugaray Rayford is a man with a message, a larger-than-life personality, and a voice to deliver it. Working with producer and songwriter Eric Corne, the soul-blues powerhouse has crafted an incendiary sound and narrative, contributing to an exciting new chapter in American soul music.
His newest single, “How The Other Half Lives,” is an upbeat funk-infused brand of Texas soul-blues about walking in another’s shoes and rolling with the punches to get through turbulent times. The song was written by producer Eric Corne, who also adds harmonica to an arrangement that includes punchy brass and a syncopated Stevie Wonder-style clavinet keyboard.
The pair’s first collaboration, Somebody Save Me, earned Rayford a 2020 Grammy nomination. Later that year, he won Blues Music Awards for ‘Soul Blues Male Artist’ and ‘B.B. King Entertainer of the Year.’ Rayford’s follow-up, 2022’s In Too Deep, won many awards, including the Blues Music Award for ‘Soul Blues Album of the Year’.
In 2024, Rayford released Human Decency, an album Blues Music Magazine called “masterful modern soul at its finest.” Living Blues described Rayford’s performance as having “the Sinatra-esque touch of telling a story” while noting Corne’s arrangements “tie it all together in near perfection.” And All Music raved that “His discipline as a singer is unimpeachable, and his willingness to take chances with phrasing and range are exhilarating.”
Rayford has a busy summer tour season with a slew of dates across The United States and Europe.
At his core, Sugaray Rayford is a unifying force. His live shows are a party. Some conversations may be had, and some self-reflection may occur, but ultimately, people feel a sense of joy and togetherness, which shines through in the music.
After finding some early success with the award-winning group The Mannish Boys, Rayford struck out on his own with Blind Alley. In 2017, The World That We Live In helped Rayford break through to the upper echelon of the blues world while also informing the soul community that he had arrived. Since joining Forty Below Records, Rayford’s sound has continued to evolve in compelling ways.
Born in Tyler, Texas, Sugaray Rayford’s early years were full of turmoil. His mother struggled to raise three boys alone while battling cancer. “She suffered, and we suffered,’ Rayford says. “Then, we moved in with my grandmother, and our lives improved. We ate every day and went to church daily, which I loved. I was raised on Gospel and soul.”
Rayford began his musical career at the tender age of seven, singing and playing drums in church, and his Gospel influences shine through in his music. The soulful rasp and expressive vocal style hint at his first-hand experience with hardship and a childhood marked by poverty and loss. As an African American youth growing up in poverty, Rayford saw the military as a path out, serving ten years in the Marines. Today, he is as comfortable using his voice to deliver songs with a message as he is singing about love. “I believe in social justice and want that to be a focus in the music, but I also like to have a good time. The light and the shade, baby!” says Rayford.
“Think back to, say, the golden days of Chess Records and people like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters; then factor in the sound of classic soul men like Solomon Burke, Curtis Mayfield, and big-voiced icons like Teddy Pendergrass, and you’re getting close to Rayford’s sound. Float that over authentic soul backing like Daptone and Stax, and you’re getting near to the sound of Somebody Save Me.'” – Soul, Jazz, and Funk.
“Eric and I are both lifelong fans of classic soul and blues, but we also like to push the envelope,” states Rayford. “We want to build on the music, not be a pastiche of classic styles,” adds Corne.
Tour Dates:
July 10 Bilbo Spain Azkena
July 11 Béjar Spain Blues Béjar Festival 2025
July 12 Barakaldo Spain Arrasate Blues Festival
July 13 Puente Viesgo Spain OriginARTE Festival
July 18 Seattle WA KNKX Studios
July 19 Winthrop WA Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival 2025
July 20 Seattle WA Triple Door
July 25 Prairie du Chien WI Prairie Dog Blues Festival Praire Du Chien 2025
July 26 Waterville OH Blues, Brews & Brats 2025
July 30 Lincoln NE Zoo Bar
July 31 Sioux City IA Vangarde Arts
August 1 Kansas City MO Knuckleheads
August 2 Omaha NE North Omaha Music And Arts
August 3 Burlington IA The Washington
August 6 Nashville TN City Winery Nashville
August 7 Edwardsville IL Wildey Theatre
August 8 Berwyn IL Fitzgerald’s
August 9 Duluth MN Bayfront Blues Festival
August 11 Lakewood OH The Winchester
August 13 New York NY Groove
August 14 Ridgefield CT Ballard Park
August 16 Woonsocket RI Chan’s
August 17 Thornton NH White Mountain Boogie N’ Blues Festival 2025
August 21 Morristown NJ The Laundromat
August 22 Tuckerton NJ Lizzie Rose Music Room
August 23 New Rochelle NY Ruby Dee Park
September 4 Las Vegas NV Big Blues Bender 2025
October 3 Roanoke VA Jefferson Center
November 8 New Britain CT Connecticut Rhythm & Blues Festival 2025
