Claude Gray
Claude Gray | |
|---|---|
Gray in 1967 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Claude Gray Jr. |
| Born | January 25, 1932 Henderson, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 28, 2023 (aged 91) Skokie, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1959–2023 |
| Labels | Mercury |
| Website | Claude Gray Official Website |
Claude Gray Jr. (January 25, 1932 – April 28, 2023), nicknamed "The Tall Texan", was an American country music singer and guitar picker best known for his 1960 hit "Family Bible", which has been covered by many different artists. Gray's other hit, "I'll Just Have a Cup of Coffee (Then I'll Go)", was covered and rearranged by Jamaican reggae singer-songwriter Bob Marley, who retitled the song as "One Cup Of Coffee".
Alongside artists such as Ray Price, Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson and Chet Atkins, Gray was a purveyor of the Nashville sound, embracing the Countrypolitan movement which paved the way for pop-oriented singers in country music and attracted new audiences to the genre.