Bobby G & Curtis Grant, Jr. and the Midnight Rockers - Still Standing (2017)

Born Robert Lee Gray, Bobby grew up on a plantation in Winterville, Washington County, Mississippi. At the age of 7, he was put to work in the cotton fields. Everybody in the area worked on a cotton farm. Life was hard. Most people were poor, and Bobby was no exception. But cotton wasn’t the only thing Bobby began early. Living in such close proximity to the likes of BB King, Mississippi Slim and Bobby Bland, he was bitten by the blues bug. By age 11, he was frequenting juke joints. Bands would come from nearby Greenville to play in Winterville. If he could scrape together enough money, Bobby would go inside to see the show. If he didn’t have the money, he listened from outside, and dreamed of trading the cotton hoe for a microphone.

Bobby recalls a time when he was 15, looking around and seeing “the sky go down to the cotton, and the cotton go up the sky.” He prayed, “Lord, is there anything else for me?” Shortly thereafter, his uncles came to visit from Toledo, and he asked if he could go back north with them. When they were ready to leave, Bobby hopped in the car with only the clothes on his back and headed to a new life in Toledo. There, he worked a variety of odd jobs including dishwashing and construction before landing a job with the city of Toledo. Bobby worked his way up through the ranks for 39 years before retiring. His job with the city provided for his family, but Bobby’s passion was singing the blues. Being inspired by the juke joint singers of his youth, Bobby cut his teeth in the local clubs – The Green Lite, Anglers, Walnut Room, the Peacock and many others around Toledo, Northwest OH, and Southwestern MI. He sang mostly on weekends whenever he could until 1980, when his son was born. For several years, he took a break from music to be there for his son’s school and sports activities. Then in the late 1990’s, he began singing again. Throughout the years, Bobby has been the featured singer for several bands including; Creation of Soul, Big Boz Bluz, and Curtis Jr. and the Midnight Rockers, as well as having his own band, Bobby G and Friendz. Bobby has a unique sound with powerful blues vocals and an energetic style. Since retiring, Bobby has longed to share his music with a wider audience.

This CD is the brainchild of John Henry, blues enthusiast, promoter and businessman from Waterville, OH (near Toledo). Henry has been an instrumental figure in the blues scene in Ohio for decades. One of the best blues venues in the Toledo area is Henry’s shop, Third Street Cigar, in downtown Waterville. This intimate setting hosts national touring acts, as well as local bands, on a regular basis. Henry founded his record company Third Street Cigar Records in 2017. Henry recognized Bobby G’s talent and enthusiasm and enlisted his long time friend, Johnny Rawls, to produce this CD for Bobby G on the Third Street Cigar label.

Johnny Rawls is an international recording artist, songwriter and producer from Purvis Mississippi. Rawls is a prolific songwriter and wrote or co-wrote all of the songs for this CD. An award-winning artist, he’s released more than 15 albums of his own. Rawls has been nominated for dozens of awards by the Blues Society, Living Blues Magazine, Blues Blast and others, and won Soul Blues Album of the Year (2009), Best Soul Blues Album of the Year (2009, 2011, 2014), Most Outstanding Blues Singer (2014) and Soul Album of the Year (2015). Over the years, Rawls has produced more than 40 gospel, R&B and blues projects on a variety of labels including JSP, Rooster Blues, Rounder, Catfood Records and his own label, Deep South Soul.

This CD was recorded and produced at the Toledo School for the Arts in downtown Toledo, the premier charter school in the state. Everyone involved in this project would like to thank the staff of Toledo School for the Arts, and especially Walter “Mac” McKeever, sound engineer, mix master and music teacher.

Local Toledo musicians, Curtis Grant, Jr (drums), Larry Gold (guitar) and Johnny Newmark (bass) were used for the sessions. Curtis Grant, Jr is a fixture in the Toledo music scene. His father, Curtis Grant, led a popular band for several decades. In 2005, when Curtis Sr became sick and could no longer perform, Curtis Jr carried on the legacy with his own band, Curtis Jr and the Midnight Rockers, which features Bobby G as lead vocalist. Larry Gold, aka Larry Entertainment, is a sought-after guitarist in the Toledo area. Johnny Newmark is a consummate bass player, playing everything from rockabilly to R&B and blues for more than 40 years. Both Gold and Newmark have played with some of the best blues musicians in the business.

With Johnny Rawls’ guidance and artistic expertise, and John Henry’s vision, the great musicians who contributed their skills & soul, Bobby G emerges on “Still Standing” as the authentic Mississippi blues man he was born to be.

Musicians: Bobby G - Vocals, Curtis Grant Jr. - Drums, Larry Gold - Guitar, Johnny “HiFi” Newmark - Bass Guitar, Johnny Rawls - Keyboards and Guitar
Producer: Johnny Rawls, John Henry
Executive Producer: John Henry
Publishing: Kazzie Publishing, My Spot Music
Art & Design: Valerie Thompson, Leap Graphics
Recorded by, Mixed by and Mastered by: Walter “Mac” McKeever
The Lawyer: Paul Croy
Thanks to the Development Team at TSA: Doug Adams-Arman, John DuVall, Dave Gierke, Natalie Gray, Bethany Urbanski
Photography: The one and only Mr. John Rockwood
Thanks to: Dan Cassavar, Dave Webb, Connie Henry, Zach Szabo, Kristyn Tusin, Larry Gold, Dave Gierke, Johnny Rawls, Linda Francis, Mike Malone and all who contributed to make this a reality.

Track List:
01. Still Standing 04:41
02. Good As Gold 04:34
03. Ball And Chain 03:46
04. Love Love Love 04:00
05. Little Bitty Woman 04:20
06. Movin' On 04:10
07. The Worst Feeling 04:07
08. Almost Love You 05:11
09. Party Man 04:33
10. Feels So Good 04:01

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