An Interview With Blues Guitar Legend Larry McCray

Feature Photo: Curtis Knapp

After taking influence from the Three Kings, B.B., Albert, and Freddie (and picking up where they left off), sharing the stage with Gary Moore, and dropping 11 albums since 1990, it’s safe to say that Larry McCray has become a staple of the modern-day blues scene.

His albums have been renowned, and he’s influenced just about every young blue player out there, but he remains humble—and utterly talented. These traits are all too apparent on his latest record, 2025’s Heartbreak City, which dropped on June 13, 2025, via Joe Bonamassa’s KTBA Records.

Elsewhere, McCray is hitting the road and is involved with a Joe Bonamassa-led project that celebrates B.B. King. McCray beamed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to cover all of the above, and more.

What inspired you while writing your new album, Heartbreak City?

What keeps me inspired is the fact that I still have a passion for playing music, and I want to be as good as I possibly can. Music is not a competition, but it is a competition within oneself to be disciplined enough to work at being your best.

In terms of who my favorite players were from the past, of course, would be what I refer to as the Mount Rushmore of Electric Blues, for my generation, that would be Albert King, B.B. King, Freddie King, and Albert Collins.

Everything else branched off from that. I learned about the music of George Benson, Larry Carlton, and Mike Stern, as well as from any other possible source to learn from. Luther Allison, Guitar Slim, Robert Jr Lockwood, Hubert Summerlin, and Johnny Shines.

Last but not least and definitely foremost, from my older sister Clara, who was my first teacher and inspiration. Anyone I didn’t list, I apologize if I should have. This is all I can think of off the top of my head.

What song cropped up first?

Well, I always try to think of scenarios that are prevalent in my own life. And I try to reflect upon that and see if I can draw any common similarities in other people’s lives, or see if the subject is something that we all potentially have in common.

So, the first song that cropped up was “Everything Falls on Me.” And I think that’s because as I get older and my family does those down even smaller, I find myself in a patriarchal position, and sometimes there are many questions to be answered and puzzles to be solved. As you can see reflected in the record, there’s a lot to be done and seemingly little time to complete the task.

Do you feel like you’re writing and playing differently than in the past?

No, I feel totally the opposite because I feel that I’m doing the same style and have the same intention and goals as I did when I first started. And that was to have the Blues looked at from a different perspective or seen in a different light.

I was a teenager in the ‘70s when heavy funk, soul, and R&B were King in black music; blues were still very prevalent during this time, but the tables were being turned, and more focus was being put on other genres besides the blues. I think the reason for the defect to other things is that the people were bored and tired of being associated with the pain and struggle of the blues.

But that’s only one side and one aspect, so I always thought that the music didn’t get a fair shake. My goal was to make it more palatable to people who weren’t born listening to that type of music and to give them something they could hold on to, understand, and then possibly draw them deeper after the introduction.

With that being said, I do think I’m quite a bit more focused these days and definitely have evolved as a player, if nothing else, just from time put in on the job and experience.

What is your rig like now, and what’s the key to your tone?

Well, first I would like to say that I have tried every type of amp imaginable from Sound City to Marshall, to Red Bear, Sovtek, Red Plate, Randall, Egnator, Soldano, just to name a few. I went completely full circle and came all the way back home to a ‘71 silver face Fender Deluxe Reverb.

It’s been slightly modified with a different rectifier, different preamp tubes, and 6L6s in the power section, making for a powerful little combo amp that’s very easy to transport, but also very much a man in the delivery department.

As far as what I use for floor gear, I use a Jim Dunlop classic Cry Baby Wawa, I use a Klon Centaur, also a Joe Bonamassa Fet Driver, and that’s pretty much everything for me. I keep it simple because the fewer things I use, the fewer the possibilities for something to go wrong.

With that, did you bring specific gear into the studio for this record?

No, I didn’t bring special gear to the studio this time because being in the studio with Joe is like going to the candy store, or should I say the music store. [Laughs] Joe has almost every piece of gear imaginable, you know, he has the Nerdville situation going on that is totally dedicated to complete collections of gear. So I didn’t find the need to carry anything to the studio with Mr. Bonamassa; he pretty much had it all covered.

What’s the backstory behind the writing and recording of “Bye Bye Blues?”

Me and my friend Charlie Walmsley and I have been playing and collaborating on music for the last 30-some years. We got together for a writer’s session when we knew it was time to record. So, “Bye Bye Blues” was a new tune this time, mostly played by Mr. Wamsley, I think it was for me and my most recently acquired sweetheart, Peggy. Although we have been together for a few years now, it still feels kind of new. Also, we brought back “Crazy World” and “Try to Be A Good Man,” which were done probably about 25 years ago.

And how about the track “Heartbreak City?” What are the origins of that song, and what can you tell us about its recording process?

Well, “Heartbreak City” was a new track for me, and it was brought to the project by Josh Smith and co-written by a gentleman named Michael Price, written for the late great Bobby Bland. So. I wasn’t so sure about the track at first because I had never heard it before.

But once I caught the arrangement and got a chance to soak it into my soul a little bit, I really found what I believe was a pretty cool niche for the song, at least it was my best effort, and I think it’s one of the better songs on the project. It really grew on me. And I was given the freedom on all the songs to interpret and deliver in my own style or taste.

Are there tips and tricks that you’ve picked up along the way that help you in the studio that you wish you knew years ago?

The biggest realization that I have come to since I started my recording career is the fact that you should try to relax and try to feel your most comfortable and calm yourself. A lot of time, musicians get what they call red light syndrome and just freak out too much, create havoc, and cause more problems than necessary.

I think half of the guitar playing that I did this time on this record was done lying back in the sleep position on the couch and just trying to think like I was at home in my basement watching TV, strumming a few notes.

I think every musician is at their best when they can relax with a clear head and no tension and stress. That’s usually when the thought process flows, and you can play whatever comes to mind.

How do you view the state of the modern blues scene?

I think that individually, we have a few bright stars that are coming along in the blues business. My biggest criticism in general is the same for blues music as for all music. And that is when music stopped being judged by what it sounds like, and being judged by what it looked like changed the whole perspective.

And because of that, all the music icons who set the standard were no longer influential or important; any inexperienced individual who looked good and showed a little skin was able to advance and have a huge career without offering much talent. I say that with the greatest humility in terms of what I do. But I do feel that most music is very saturated these days.

If you could dismantle the player you are today, and recreate yourself as the “perfect” blues player, would you do it?

If I had the possibility to reinvent myself as I chose, I think I would definitely do it. I don’t think that there’s such a thing as a perfect player or a perfect singer, but I do think that we can raise our standards. That means being as perfect as we can and being honest with ourselves first, to know the difference between when we are doing a good job and when we are not.

And if I could choose a little bit from all of those whom I love, here it is some of the people that I would steal some of their thunder, shall we say, or for lack of better terms, musical personality. And I’m speaking of all players who are alive and active today.

High on the list would be some of my California homies that I came to know and love, such as Kirk Fletcher, Joe B, and Josh Smith, because I love their playing, and they are now my homies. Outside of that, high on my list are Mr. Eric Gale, Marcus King, and Derek Trucks.

And on the Blues side, would be the Brooks boys, Wayne and Ronnie Baker, Mr. Bernard Allison, most definitely Mr. Robert Randolph, Kingfish Ingram, and Roosevelt Collier, to name a few. But I think these boys all carry some of the same commonalities and characteristics, and if I could fall anywhere in between all of that, I would be very happy.

Which guitar is the most important to you, and why?

My dearest and proudest possession is a 1957 limited-edition gold Fender Stratocaster. It is number 440 of 500 made. It was given to me by the late, great Gary Moore in 1992 after the completion of the Still Got the Blues tour.

Gary was a great man who always tried to bring his best to the game, and I think that he appreciated the fact that I was true to who I was musically and tried to excel and be the best I could at what I did best, which was the blues. I also observed and learned a great deal about his professionalism and presentation.

He left a lifelong impression upon me, and I will never forget Gary as long as I play. I feel so lucky and so special to have gotten to see some of the performances I did with Gary Moore, Albert King, and Albert Collins. I remember a couple of times during the tour when he invited me, my brother, and my career-long friend, the late great Donald Kenzie, to the stage to join in also.

Some very special times back in those days. I don’t know if I would ever part with that guitar, I have a 25-year-old son right now and he is really coming into his own as a guitarist and performer and when it’s all said and done for me, I hope I can leave him something special that will be inspiring for him after I’m long gone.

His name is Bleau Otis, and I want you guys to remember him because I think you will be hearing quite a bit from him before it’s all said and done.

Do you prefer tube or solid-state amps?

I prefer tube amps over solid-state. I think that tube amps carry a greater harmonic value, more clarity, and more thickness of tone, a much more preferable sound for someone who wants to play Blues or classic sounds such as classic rock and other guitar-oriented music.

What’s next for you in all lanes?

As of June 13th, I had my latest release on KTBA, which we have spoken about, entitled Heartbreak City. I’m also involved this summer with Devon Allman and his Blues Summit, which will be taking the road this fall to 22 cities, I believe, in the United States.

I am also on the tour will be Jimmy Hall, Sierra green, Larry McCray, and there’s a couple of other artists involved on the project also but I’m not exactly clear who that is and who will be touring because I’m understanding that some of the artists that are on the CD will not be making the tour.

So, I guess when things get a little closer, all of those questions will be clarified. I’m also involved with a project for Joe B that will be paying tribute to Mr. B.B. King, and I will be singing and playing on one of those tracks also. I do believe that my track will be coming from the Take It Home album by B.B. King, the song entitled “When It All Comes Down.” And that’s about all I have right now at this point.