Sugaray Rayford Survives Tough Childhood en Route to GRAMMY Nom

By Cyndi Carver

Blues great Caron "Sugaray" Rayford survived a tough upbringing en route to his "Best Contemporary Blues Album" GRAMMY nomination.

Sugaray will perform at The Mint in LA for New Year's Eve.

His childhood was marked by the death of his mother, who raised Sugaray and his brothers alone. When his mother died, life changed.

“We moved in with my grandmother and our lives were a lot better," Sugaray said. "We ate every day and we were in church every day, which I loved. I grew up in gospel and soul.”

Sugaray is a Texas-born musician, who got his start at the age of 7 singing and playing drums in church. Sugaray had a big gospel influence growing up and that has carried over to his sound today.

The GRAMMY-nominated album is Somebody Save Me. Sugaray is up against Gary Clark Jr. and Robert Randolph and the Family Band. The GRAMMYs take place in LA on January 26.

The New Year's Eve show is a rare chance to get up close and personal with the legendary Sugaray and makes for fun at The Mint, an iconic music venue.

Rayford is known for his emotive and trademark voice as well as his intimate and conversational lyrics. His songs tell stories of his experience with hardship, loss and poverty.

Sugaray wins over the crowd with his electric performance. His voice is as big as he is. And it's a voice that conjures nostalgia with a throwback feel in style to Muddy Waters, Teddy Pendergrass and Otis Redding.

Opening for Sugaray are The Real Stills, a soul-rhythm and blues band from Los Angeles. Mike Moody is lead singer and guitarist is Andy Vimar and the two blend together the sounds from their cities of Detroit and Vancouver.

Sugaray at The Mint

Doors at 8 p.m. music at 9 p.m.

For more information go to TheMintLA.com

The Mint is located at 6010 Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, Calif. 90035