On the heels of his soulful lead single “Bye Bye Blues,” celebrated blues singer and guitarist Larry McCray returns today with “Bright Side,” the second release from his upcoming album Heartbreak City, due out June 13 via KTBA Records, the label founded by Joe Bonamassa. The mid-tempo burner—written by Josh Smith, Michael “Harvey” Price, and Steve Shepherd—was originally penned for the late, great Bobby “Blue” Bland, but sat unreleased for decades until producer Josh Smith brought it to McCray, knowing he was the one to bring it to life.
With deep-in-the-pocket grooves, sly lyrical turns, and an irresistible call-and-response chorus, “Bright Side” leans into McCray’s ability to deliver grit with charm and swagger. His weathered vocals ride a classic blues progression that’s equal parts tough and joyful, while his signature guitar tone cuts through like a livewire. “Bright Side” shows McCray doing what he does best—delivering emotional truth with musical fire.
Produced by Grammy-nominated duo Bonamassa and Smith, Heartbreak City is a bold, unfiltered collection that finds McCray at the height of his powers. The ten-track album fuses raw blues with vintage soul, Southern grit, and a hard-won sense of joy, featuring standout contributions from Reese Wynans, Kirk Fletcher, and background vocalists Jade Macrae and Dannielle De Andrea, as well as guest guitar work from Bonamassa himself. The album was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood and mixed by Alan Hertz.
The project was first introduced with the lead single “Bye Bye Blues,” a finger-snapping throwback co-written with long-time collaborator Charlie Walmsley that paid homage to the soul icons of McCray’s youth—Johnnie Taylor, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and Little Milton among them.
Listen to “Bright Side” NOW
Pre-order Heartbreak City Album HERE
WATCH the Official Lyric video for “Brightside”;
About Larry McCray
Blues singer and guitarist Larry McCray was born in Magnolia, Arkansas, and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, where he developed a searing guitar style and emotive voice that would earn him comparisons to the genre’s greats. A pioneer of modern blues-rock, McCray helped shape the genre throughout the ’90s with albums on Virgin’s Point Blank label and through collaborations with legends like B.B. King, Albert King, and Buddy Guy. After years of grinding it out on the road and surviving personal struggles, McCray has emerged with a renewed sense of purpose—and a voice that’s deeper, richer, and more powerful than ever. With Heartbreak City, he cements his status as a timeless torchbearer of the blues.
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Larry McCray
The Rocker - The Artist Formerly Known As Zeitgeist. TAFKAZ 
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