Celebrated bluesman Larry McCray releases his powerful new studio album Heartbreak City, available now on KTBA Records, the label founded by Joe Bonamassa. To mark the occasion, McCray also drops the album’s title track and latest single, “Heartbreak City”—a gut-punch of a song that puts his searing guitar work and gravel-worn vocals front and center.

Produced by Grammy-nominated duo Joe Bonamassa and Josh 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 hard-earned truth, 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. It was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood and mixed by Alan Hertz.

STREAM the album “Heartbreak City”
Order The Album HERE

Written by Josh Smith, Michael “Harvey” Price, Steve Shepherd, and Dan Walsh, track “Heartbreak City” tells the story of a man lost in a city of sorrow, where heartbreak is the only currency and escape feels impossible. The song’s vivid lyrics paint a cinematic portrait of isolation and despair—“All God’s lonely souls begging, ‘Please just let me die’”—while McCray’s voice channels every ounce of that pain into a cathartic, slow-burning blues performance. His guitar howls and groans alongside him, evoking the decades he spent pouring himself into club stages night after night.

Across the board, critics agree: McCray has delivered one of the standout blues records of the year. Blues Rock Review praised his ability to stay rooted in tradition while continuing to evolve the genre, writing, “McCray dispatches the train with guitar licks played with a feel that even the late great B.B. King would have been proud of.” Rock and Blues Muse called the album “magnificent,” noting its “roaring, goose-bump raising guitar solos” and declaring that “Larry McCray is back in a big way.” Glide Magazine added, “McCray has never sounded better vocally or on guitar,” and affirmed that Heartbreak City “has all the major ingredients for a powerful blues album and then some.” And Raised by Cassettes summed it up best, calling it “not just one of the best blues albums of the year, but one of the best albums all around.”

The album was introduced through two acclaimed singles: “Bye Bye Blues,” a finger-snapping throwback co-written with Charlie Walmsley and steeped in soul tradition, and “Bright Side,” an unreleased gem originally written for Bobby “Blue” Bland that McCray reimagined with swagger and charm.

Across Heartbreak City, McCray leans into themes of loss, resilience, and redemption, drawing from a life spent living the blues as much as playing them. His voice—gritty, weathered, and full of soul—carries the weight of that experience, while his guitar burns with unrelenting purpose. With gospel-tinged harmonies, tight arrangements, and songs that cut deep, Heartbreak City is McCray’s most personal and compelling work yet.

The new album follows McCray’s acclaimed 2022 comeback, Blues Without You, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and was named #1 Blues Album of the Year by Blues Rock Review. In 2024, McCray was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as one of the Midwest’s true blues icons.

Heartbreak City by Larry McCray
1. Try To Be A Good Man
2. Heartbreak City
3. Bye Bye Blues
4. Bright Side
5. Everything Falls On Me
6. I Know What I’ve Done (feat. Joe Bonamassa)
7. Keep On Loving My Baby (feat. Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith)
8. Hangman
9. Stop Your Crying
10. Crazy World

Tour Dates
August 24 – Marshfield, MA – North River Blues Fest
September 15-21 – Seattle, WA – Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Alaska

Devon Allman’s Blues Summit Tour**
August 7 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center
August 8 – Lake Charles, LA – The Rosa Hart Theatre
August 9 – Pensacola, FL – Saenger Theater
August 10 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Center
August 12 – Nashville, TN – Fogg St Lawn Club
August 13 – Union Hall, VA – The Coves
August 14 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon Theatre
August 15 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Music Hall
August 16 – Jordan, NY – Kegs Canalside
August 17 – Kingston, NY – Ulster Performing Arts Center
August 20 – Atlantic City, NJ – Mardi Gras AC @ Kennedy Plaza
August 21 – Cranston, RI – The Park Theatre
August 23 – Nashua, NH – Nashua Center for the Arts
September 4 – Phoenix, AZ – MIM
September 5 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender
September 6 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Coach House
September 9 – Santa Fe, NM – The Lensic
September 10 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center
September 11 – Parker, CO – The Pace Center
September 12-13 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
** Features Devon Allman, Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray & Sierra Green

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.

More information: Website | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | YouTube

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.

Across Heartbreak City, McCray leans into themes of reflection, resilience, and redemption, drawing from decades of lived experience on and off the stage. His voice—gravelly, weathered, and full of soul—carries the weight of hard-earned wisdom, while his guitar work remains as fiery and fluid as ever. With gospel-tinged harmonies, taut grooves, and a band that matches him punch for punch, Heartbreak City reclaims the blues, reframing it through the lens of someone who’s survived it, played it, and lived it for more than four decades.

The album follows McCray’s 2022 comeback Blues Without You, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and was named the #1 Blues Album of the Year by Blues Rock Review. The record marked a triumphant return after a seven-year hiatus and helped relaunch McCray onto festival stages and year-end best-of lists. In 2024, he was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame, further cementing his place among the greats.

Born in Smackover, Arkansas, and raised in Saginaw, Michigan, McCray developed a guitar style that blends the electric fire of Hendrix with the soul of B.B. King and the Southern swing of the Allman Brothers. He was the first artist signed to Virgin Records’ Point Blank imprint in the late ’80s and went on to release a series of genre-defining albums, including Ambition, Delta Hurricane, and Born to Play the Blues. Over his storied career, McCray has shared the stage with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, the Allman Brothers, Joe Walsh, Jonny Lang, and many more.

“Larry McCray is a legend,” shares Joe Bonamassa. “We have known that for 30 years. He is the last of the great blues shouters from the Rust Belt. In the spirit of BB King, Luther Allison, and Little Milton, Larry is among the greats. It’s now up to the world to rediscover him. He has been here all along.”

Heartbreak City by Larry McCray
1. Try To Be A Good Man
2. Heartbreak City
3. Bye Bye Blues
4. Bright Side
5. Everything Falls On Me
6. I Know What I’ve Done (feat. Joe Bonamassa)
7. Keep On Loving My Baby (feat. Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith)
8. Hangman
9. Stop Your Crying
10. Crazy World

Tour Dates
May 24 – Burton, MI – Burton Rock & Blues Festival
August 24 – Marshfield, MA – North River Blues Fest
September 15-21 – Seattle, WA – Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Alaska

Devon Allman’s Blues Summit Tour
** Features Devon Allman, Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray & Sierra Green
August 7 – Baton Rouge, LA – Raising Cane’s River Center
August 8 – Lake Charles, LA – The Rosa Hart Theatre
August 9 – Pensacola, FL – Saenger Theater
August 10 – Montgomery, AL – Montgomery Performing Arts Center
August 12 – Nashville, TN – Fogg St Lawn Club
August 13 – Union Hall, VA – The Coves
August 14 – Hopewell, VA – The Beacon Theatre
August 15 – Norfolk, CT – Infinity Music Hall
August 16 – Jordan, NY – Kegs Canalside
August 17 – Kingston, NY – Ulster Performing Arts Center
August 20 – Atlantic City, NJ – Mardi Gras AC @ Kennedy Plaza
August 21 – Cranston, RI – The Park Theatre
August 23 – Nashua, NH – Nashua Center for the Arts
September 4 – Phoenix, AZ – MIM
September 5 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender
September 6 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Coach House
September 9 – Santa Fe, NM – The Lensic
September 10 – Beaver Creek, CO – Vilar Performing Arts Center
September 11 – Parker, CO – The Pace Center
September 12-13 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Brews Festival

For more information, visit https://larrymccrayofficial.com

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.

More information: Website | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | YouTube

Celebrated blues singer and guitarist Larry McCray is set to release his powerful new album Heartbreak City on June 13, 2025, via KTBA Records, the label founded by Joe Bonamassa. To mark the announcement, McCray has dropped the album’s lead single, “Bye Bye Blues,” a soulful, finger-snapping throwback co-written with longtime collaborator Charlie Walmsley that channels the sounds of Johnnie Taylor, Bobby Bland, and Little Milton with a fresh, funky edge.

Listen to “Bye Bye Blues” NOW

Produced by Grammy nominated duo Bonamassa and Josh Smith, Heartbreak City is a bold, unfiltered collection that finds McCray at the height of his powers—fusing raw blues with vintage soul, Southern grit, and a hard-won sense of joy. The ten-track album features 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 record was recorded at the iconic Sunset Sound in Hollywood and mixed by Alan Hertz.

On the title track, McCray taps into the spirit of the club stages that shaped his early career, with gritty vocals and a smoldering guitar solo that reflect his decades of road-tested experience. “I feel like this album captures all the different sides of who I am,” says McCray. “It’s soul, it’s blues, it’s truth. It’s everything I’ve lived.”

Across the album, McCray leans into themes of reflection, resilience, and redemption, drawing from decades of lived experience on and off the stage. His voice—gravelly, weathered, and full of soul—carries the weight of hard-earned wisdom, while his guitar work remains as fiery and fluid as ever. With dynamic arrangements, gospel-tinged harmonies, and a band that matches him punch for punch, Heartbreak City doesn’t just revisit the blues—it reclaims it, reframing it through the lens of someone who’s survived it, played it, and lived it for more than four decades.

The release follows 2022’s Blues Without You, which marked McCray’s long-awaited return after a seven-year hiatus. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Blues chart and was named the #1 Blues Album of 2022 by Blues Rock Review, solidifying his status as a torchbearer of modern blues. In 2024, McCray was inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame, a testament to his deep roots in the state and his enduring impact on American music. Now, Heartbreak City builds on that momentum. It’s a record that reflects Larry McCray at his most self-assured and grounded in tradition, but more fearless than ever.

A native of Smackover, Arkansas, McCray grew up immersed in gospel, soul, and the blues stylings of B.B., Albert, and Freddie King. After relocating to Saginaw, Michigan, at age 12, he developed a style that merged deep blues with the fire of Hendrix and the Southern grooves of the Allman Brothers. He was signed in the late ’80s as the first artist on Virgin Records’ Point Blank imprint and released a string of widely praised albums including Ambition (1990), Delta Hurricane (1993), and Born to Play the Blues (1998). Over the course of his career, McCray has shared stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Joe Walsh, the Allman Brothers, Jonny Lang, and of course, his modern-day champion and label head Joe Bonamassa.

“Larry McCray is a legend,” shares Bonamassa. “We have known that for 30 years. He is the last of the great blues shouters from the Rust Belt. In the spirit of BB King, Luther Allison, and Little Milton, Larry is among the greats. It’s now up to the world to rediscover him. He has been here all along.”

Pre-order New Album Heartbreak City HERE

Heartbreak City by Larry McCray
1. Try To Be A Good Man
2. Heartbreak City
3. Bye Bye Blues
4. Bright Side
5. Everything Falls On Me
6. I Know What I’ve Done (feat. Joe Bonamassa)
7. Keep On Loving My Baby (feat. Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith)
8. Hangman
9. Stop Your Crying
10. Crazy World

Tour Dates
April 18 – Ocala, FL – Levitt AMP Ocala
May 24 – Burton, MI – Burton Rock & Blues Festival
August 24 – Marshfield, MA – North River Blues Fest
September 5 – Las Vegas, NV – Big Blues Bender
September 12-14 – Telluride, CO – Telluride Blues & Blues Festival

More tour dates are being added soon. For more info, visit https://larrymccrayofficial.com

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.

More information: Website | Facebook | Spotify | Instagram | YouTube