Dobie Gray

Dobie Gray (born Lawrence Darrow Brown; July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter. Gray's music spanned multiple genres, including soul, country, pop, and musical theater. His hit songs included "The 'In' Crowd" in 1965 and "Drift Away" (a cover of a song written by Mentor Williams). "Drift Away" was one of the biggest hits of 1973, has sold over one million copies, and remains a staple of radio airplay.

Dobie Gray was a member of the cast of Hair at the Aquarius Theater in Hollywood from 1968 to 1969.

Background Gray was born in Simonton, Texas. His birth name was most likely Lawrence Darrow Brown, listed in Fort Bend County birth records as being born in 1940 to Jane and Jethro C. Brown. Other sources suggest he may have been born Leonard Victor Ainsworth, reached No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100.

However, his first album Look! failed to sell. and produced by Fred Darian, Gray's record reached No. 11 on the US R&B chart and No. 25 in the UK. The follow-up, "See You at the Go-Go", recorded with such top session musicians as Kaye, Hal Blaine, and Larry Knechtel, also reached the Hot 100, and he issued an album, Dobie Gray Sings for 'In' Crowders That Go 'Go Go,' which featured some self-penned songs. The band included singer Tata Vega and guitarist/singer James Quill Smith. He also worked at A&M Records on demo recordings with songwriter Paul Williams. Released as a single, the song rose to No. 5 on the US pop chart and remains Dobie Gray's signature song. The follow-up, a version of Tom Jans's much-covered song "Loving Arms", hit No. 61. Gray also released three albums with MCA, Drift Away, Loving Arms, and Hey, Dixie, but later stated that MCA were unsure of how to market the albums -- "They didn't know where to place a black guy in country music."

Dobie Gray re-emerged as a recording artist for Capitol Records in the mid-1980s, recording with producer Harold Shedd. He placed two singles on the US country chart in 1986–87, including "That's One to Grow On" which peaked at No. 35. His country albums included From Where I Stand in 1986, and he made several appearances at Charlie Daniels's popular Volunteer Jam concerts.

In 1997, he released the album Diamond Cuts, including both new songs and re-recordings of older material. Gray's "Out on the Floor", a 1966 recording which would become a British hit in 1975, peaking at No. 42. His remains were buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park And Mausoleum in Nashville. Upon his death, he bequeathed 100% of his musical assets and royalties in trust to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Tennessee School for the Blind.

Discography Albums

Chart singles Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications(sales threshold) US US R&B CAN CAN AC CAN Country UK 1963 "Look at Me" 91 — — — — — — — — 1965 "The 'In' Crowd" 13 11 — — — 8 — — 25 "See You at the Go-Go" 69 — — — — — — — — 1969 "Rose Garden" 119 — — — — 89 — — — 1973 "Drift Away" 5 42 12 — 44 7 — — — US: Gold "Loving Arms" 61 81 7 — — 67 2 — — "Good Old Song" 103 — — — — — — — — 1974 "Watch Out for Lucy" 107 — — — — — — — — 1975 "Roll On Sweet Mississippi" — — — — 84 — — — — "Out on the Floor" — — — — — — — — 42 1976 "If Love Must Go" 78 — — — — — — — — "Find 'Em, Fool 'Em & Forget 'Em" 94 71 — — — — — — — 1979 "You Can Do It" 37 32 — — 96 58 — — — "The In Crowd" — — — — — — 47 — — 1986 "That's One to Grow On" — — — 35 — — — — — "The Dark Side of Town" — — — 42 — — — 48 — "From Where I Stand" — — — 67 — — — — — 1987 "Take It Real Easy" — — — 82 — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released to that country

Featured singles Year Single Artist Peak chart positions Album US US Country US Adult US AC US Pop NZ 1985 "One Big Family" Heart of Nashville — 61 — — — — single only 2003 "Drift Away" Uncle Kracker 9 — 2 1 10 25 No Stranger to Shame

Music videos Year Video Director 1985 "One Big Family" (Heart of Nashville) Steve Von Hagel