Dobie Gray
Gray performing in the Netherlands in 1974
Background information
Also known as	Leonard Ainsworth Larry Curtis Larry Dennis Larry Brown
Born	Lawrence Darrow Brown (1940-07-26)July 26, 1940 Simonton, Texas, U.S.
Died	December 6, 2011(2011-12-06) (aged 71) Nashville,Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Soul R&B pop country
Occupations	Singer songwriter record producer
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1960–2011
Labels	Decca,White WhaleInfinity
Website	www.dobiegray.com

Dobie Gray (bornLawrence Darrow Brown; July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter. Gray's music spanned multiple genres, includingsoul,country,pop, andmusical theater. His hit songs included "The 'In' Crowd" in 1965 and "Drift Away" (a cover of a song written by Mentor Williams). "Drift Away" was one of the biggest hits of 1973, has sold over one million copies, and remains a staple of radioairplay.^[1]

Dobie Gray was a member of the cast ofHair at theAquarius Theater in Hollywood from 1968 to 1969.

Gray was born inSimonton, Texas.^[2][3] His birth name was most likely Lawrence Darrow Brown,^[3][4] listed inFort Bend County birth records as being born in 1940 to Jane and Jethro C. Brown. Other sources suggest he may have been born Leonard Victor Ainsworth,^[1] a name he used on some early recordings.

His familysharecropped. He discoveredgospel music through his grandfather, aBaptist minister.^[2]

In the early 1960s Gray moved toLos Angeles, intending to pursue an acting career while also singing to make money. He recorded for several local labels under the namesLeonard Ainsworth,Larry Curtis, andLarry Dennis, beforeSonny Bono directed him toward the small independent Stripe Records. They suggested that he record under the name "Dobie Gray", an allusion to the then-popularsitcomThe Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.^[3]

His first taste of success came in 1962 when his seventh single "Look At Me", on the Cor-Dak label and recorded withbassistCarol Kaye,^[5] reached No. 91 on theBillboard Hot 100.^[4][6]

However, his first albumLook! failed to sell.^[5] Greater success came in early 1965 when his original recording of "The 'In' Crowd" (recorded later that year as an instrumental byRamsey Lewis and also covered in 1965 byPetula Clark) reached No. 13. Written by Billy Page and arranged by his brotherGene^[7] and produced by Fred Darian,^[4][8] Gray's record reached No. 11 on the USR&B chart and No. 25 in theUK. The follow-up, "See You at the Go-Go", recorded with such top session musicians as Kaye,Hal Blaine, andLarry Knechtel, also reached the Hot 100, and he issued an album,Dobie Gray Sings for 'In' Crowders That Go 'Go Go,' which featured some self-penned songs.^[5]

Gray continued to record, albeit with little success, for small labels such as Charger andWhite Whale, as well as contributing to movie soundtracks.^[6] He also spent several years working as an actor, including two and a half years in the Los Angeles production ofHair.^[1][3]

In 1970, while working there, he joined the bandPollution as singer and percussionist. They were managed by actorMax Baer Jr. (best known as "Jethro" inThe Beverly Hillbillies) and released two albums of soul-inspired psychedelic rock,Pollution I andPollution II.^[5][9] The band included singerTata Vega and guitarist/singer James Quill Smith. He also worked atA&M Records ondemo recordings with songwriterPaul Williams.^[3]

In 1972, he signed arecording contract withDecca Records (shortly before it became part ofMCA) to make an album with producerMentor Williams—Paul's brother—inNashville. Among the songs they recorded at theQuadrafonic Sound Studios, co-owned by session musiciansNorbert Putnam andDavid Briggs, was Mentor Williams's "Drift Away", featuring a guitar riff byReggie Young.^[3][10] Released as a single, the song rose to No. 5 on the US pop chart and remains Dobie Gray's signature song.^[1] It placed at No. 17 in theBillboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1973, sold over 1 million copies, and was awarded agold disc by theRIAA on July 5, 1973.^[11] The follow-up, a version ofTom Jans's much-covered song "Loving Arms", hit No. 61. Gray also released three albums with MCA,Drift Away,Loving Arms, andHey, Dixie, but later stated that MCA were unsure of how to market the albums -- "They didn't know where to place a black guy in country music."^[3]

In the mid-1970s, he moved permanently to Nashville and signed withCapricorn Records, writing songs in collaboration withTroy Seals.^[1] His last solo hit singles were "If Love Must Go", No. 78 in 1976, and "You Can Do It", No. 37 in 1978.^[4] He increasingly concentrated on songwriting, writing songs for a variety of artists includingRay Charles,George Jones,Johnny Mathis,Charley Pride, andDon Williams.^[3][6] He also toured in Europe, Australia and Africa in the 1970s. He performed in South Africa only after persuading theapartheid authorities to allow him to play to integrated audiences, becoming the first artist to do so.^[1] His popularity in South Africa continued through numerous subsequent concert tours.^[2][3]

In 1981, Dobie Gray was included on a Word Records/Myrrh Contemporary Christian Music showcase called Premier Performance. Dobie was featured on two selections: "Everything To Me" and Walter Carter's "Last Train to Glory".^[12]

Dobie Gray re-emerged as a recording artist forCapitol Records in the mid-1980s, recording with producerHarold Shedd. He placed two singles on the UScountry chart in 1986–87, including "That's One to Grow On" which peaked at No. 35.^[1][13] His country albums includedFrom Where I Stand in 1986, and he made several appearances atCharlie Daniels's popularVolunteer Jam concerts.^[6] He also sang on a number of TV and radio jingles.^[3] Gray sang the song "Paradise Road", which appeared in the 1988 filmBlind Justice, starringChristopher Cazenove,Patrick Shai,Oliver Reed andEdita Brychta.^[14][15]

In 1997, he released the albumDiamond Cuts, including both new songs and re-recordings of older material.^[1]

In 2000,Wigan Casino DJ Kev Roberts, compiledThe Northern Soul Top 500, which was based on a survey ofNorthern soul fans.^[16] Gray's "Out on the Floor", a 1966 recording which would become a British hit in 1975, peaking at No. 42.^[17]

"Drift Away" became a hit again in 2003, when he covered the song as a duet withUncle Kracker on the latter'sNo Stranger to Shame album. The re-recording peaked at No. 9 one week to the day after Gray's 63rd birthday and placed at No. 19 in theBillboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2003 as well as logging a record-setting 28 weeks atop theAdult Contemporary chart in 2003–04.^{[citation needed]}

Gray died on December 6, 2011, of complications from cancer surgery inNashville, Tennessee, aged 71.^[18] His remains were buried atWoodlawn Memorial Park And Mausoleum in Nashville. Upon his death, he bequeathed 100% of his musical assets and royalties in trust to benefitSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital and theTennessee School for the Blind.^[19]

Source:^[22]

• List of soul musicians
• List of disco artists (A-E)
• List of Decca Records artists

• Dobie Gray discography atDiscogs
• Dobie Gray atIMDb
• Dobie Gray atFind a Grave

• 1940 births
• 2011 deaths
• American male singer-songwriters
• Decca Records artists
• Singer-songwriters from Texas
• Northern soul musicians
• Deaths from cancer in Tennessee
• American soul singers
• American country singer-songwriters
• American rhythm and blues singers
• 20th-century African-American male singers
• 20th-century American male singers
• 20th-century American singers
• African-American country musicians
• Country musicians from Texas
• Varèse Sarabande Records artists
• White Whale Records artists
• African-American songwriters
• 21st-century African-American musicians
• Burials at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery (Nashville, Tennessee)

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