Bobby Murray, born on June 9, 1953 on a U.S. Air Force base in Nagoya, Japan, was an American electric blues guitarist who grew up in Tacoma, Washington. After early club work in the San Francisco Bay Area, he joined Etta James’s Roots Band in 1988, contributing guitar to Grammy‑winning recordings such as "Let’s Roll" and "Blues to the Bone". Murray’s debut solo album, The Blues Is Now (1996), featured Frankie Lee and Freddie Hughes, followed by Waiting for Mr. Goodfingers… (1999) and the live release Live & Lowdown! (2006). His album, Love Letters From Detroit (2021), earned the Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Blues Recording of the Year. In 2011, the Detroit Blues Society honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and he received multiple Detroit Music Awards for Outstanding Instrumentalist (Blues) and Outstanding Blues Performer/Group. He passed away on April 30, 2026.
