With "Showdown!", a test of strength between Robert Cray, Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland, the American suddenly arrived in the blues rock mainstream in 1985. The Grammy for the work was a year later. 1986 also marked the second great hour of the 62-year-old's career. There he released "Strong Persuader", his most successful album so far.
At the latest from then on the Bluesrock map is no longer complete without his name. Even though some may find his combination of traditional blues, soul and rock pop too smooth, Cray always manages to touch his listeners - be it through his partly hard, but also often ingratiating guitar sound or through his wonderful and immediately audible voice.
eclipsed: Whose idea was "4 Nights Of 40 Years Live"?
Robert Cray: My management persuaded me to do this. But I can live with the result very well.
eclipsed: At 62, don't you feel too young for a retrospective?
Cray: That's the beauty of it being a live album or a DVD, then you realize how alive we are.
eclipsed: In retrospect, how important was "Strong Persuader" for your legend making?
Cray: That's funny when you're considered a legend yourself. For me, people like Eric Clapton or Albert Collins are the true legends. "Strong Persuader" was probably just the right album at the right time. And to get into the US top 20 in the eighties, you needed some sales figures. More than these days.
