That Eric Alper

On the heels of his soulful lead single “Bye Bye Blues,” celebrated blues singer and guitarist Larry McCray returns today with “Bright Side,” the second release from his upcoming album Heartbreak City, due out June 13 via KTBA Records, the label founded by Joe Bonamassa. The mid-tempo burner—written by Josh Smith, Michael “Harvey” Price, and Steve Shepherd—was originally penned for the late, great Bobby “Blue” Bland, but sat unreleased for decades until producer Josh Smith brought it to McCray, knowing he was the one to bring it to life.

With deep-in-the-pocket grooves, sly lyrical turns, and an irresistible call-and-response chorus, “Bright Side” leans into McCray’s ability to deliver grit with charm and swagger. His weathered vocals ride a classic blues progression that’s equal parts tough and joyful, while his signature guitar tone cuts through like a livewire. “Bright Side” shows McCray doing what he does best—delivering emotional truth with musical fire.

Produced by Grammy-nominated duo Bonamassa and Smith, Heartbreak City is a bold, unfiltered collection that finds McCray at the height of his powers. The ten-track album fuses raw blues with vintage soul, Southern grit, and a hard-won sense of joy, featuring standout contributions from Reese Wynans, Kirk Fletcher, and background vocalists Jade Macrae and Dannielle De Andrea, as well as guest guitar work from Bonamassa himself. The album was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood and mixed by Alan Hertz.

The project was first introduced with the lead single “Bye Bye Blues,” a finger-snapping throwback co-written with longtime collaborator Charlie Walmsley that paid homage to the soul icons of McCray’s youth—Johnnie Taylor, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Little Milton among them.

Across Heartbreak City, McCray leans into themes of reflection, resilience, and redemption, drawing from decades of lived experience on and off the stage. His voice—gravelly, weathered, and full of soul—carries the weight of hard-earned wisdom, while his guitar work remains as fiery and fluid as ever. With gospel-tinged harmonies, taut grooves, and a band that matches him punch for punch, Heartbreak City reclaims the blues, reframing it through the lens of someone who’s survived it, played it, and lived it for more than four decades.

The album follows McCray’s 2022 comeback Blues Without You, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and was named the #1 Blues Album of the Year by Blues Rock Review. The record marked a triumphant return after a seven-year hiatus and helped relaunch McCray onto festival stages and year-end best-of lists. In 2024, he was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame, further cementing his place among the greats.

Born in Smackover, Arkansas, and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, McCray developed a guitar style that blends the electric fire of Hendrix with the soul of B.B. King and the Southern swing of the Allman Brothers. He was the first artist signed to Virgin Records’ Point Blank imprint in the late ’80s and went on to release a series of genre-defining albums, including Ambition, Delta Hurricane, and Born to Play the Blues. Over his storied career, McCray has shared the stage with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, the Allman Brothers, Joe Walsh, Jonny Lang, and many more.

“Larry McCray is a legend,” shares Joe Bonamassa. “We have known that for 30 years. He is the last of the great blues shouters from the Rust Belt. In the spirit of BB King, Luther Allison, and Little Milton, Larry is among the greats. It’s now up to the world to rediscover him. He has been here all along.”

Heartbreak City by Larry McCray Tracklist:
1. Try To Be A Good Man
2. Heartbreak City
3. Bye Bye Blues
4. Bright Side
5. Everything Falls On Me
6. I Know What I’ve Done (feat. Joe Bonamassa)
7. Keep On Loving My Baby (feat. Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith)
8. Hangman
9. Stop Your Crying
10. Crazy World

Tour Dates:
May 24 – Burton, MI – Burton Rock & Blues Festival
August 24 – Marshfield, MA – North River Blues Fest
September 15-21 – Seattle, WA – Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Alaska

Devon Allman’s Blues Summit Tour:
August 7 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center
August 8 – Lake Charles, LA – The Rosa Hart Theatre
August 9 – Pensacola, FL – Saenger Theater
August 10 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Center
August 12 – Nashville, TN – Fogg St Lawn Club
August 13 – Union Hall, VA – The Coves
August 14 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon Theatre
August 15 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Music Hall
August 16 – Jordan, NY – Kegs Canalside
August 17 – Kingston, NY – Ulster Performing Arts Center
August 20 – Atlantic City, NJ – Mardi Gras AC @ Kennedy Plaza
August 21 – Cranston, RI – The Park Theatre
August 23 – Nashua, NH – Nashua Center for the Arts
September 4 – Phoenix, AZ – MIM
September 5 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender
September 6 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Coach House
September 9 – Santa Fe, NM – The Lensic
September 10 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center
September 11 – Parker, CO – The Pace Center
September 12-13 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
** Features Devon Allman, Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray & Sierra Green