Late in 2014, I had a dream that I called my friend Larry McCray on the phone. Larry answered and told me he was in the middle of a rehearsal. In my dream, Larry was singing a song..."I was born in Arkansas, feedin' hogs and bailin' straw.." In my dream, I thought, "Damn, I wish I had written THAT song!" I woke startled, jumped up and wrote the first draft lyric for … [Read more...]
Larry McCray Nashville Sessions
April 13, 2026 – Nashville, Tennessee Michigan Blues Recording Artist, Larry McCray has completed recording his first ever acoustic blues album. The project took place at Nashville’s Pinhead Recorders, with accomplished Canadian Blues Artist, Colin Linden (The Band, Bob Dylan) producing as well as performing on most tracks. Session musicians include Dave Jacques (John … [Read more...]
The HANGMAN Story
The Story Behind Larry McCray’s HANGMAN – Charlie Walmsley Summer of 2020, yes the lockdown summer. My carpal tunnel syndrome chose a perfect time to disable me because all my gigs were cancelled anyway. The medical industry was very slow that summer and my surgery was on hold. As a member of Andy Baker’s Songsmiths FB Songwriters group, I was required to write a … [Read more...]
The BYE BYE BLUES Story
The Story Behind Bye Bye Blues In January 2024, Melinda and I were staying in a cabin on the Suwanee River in Northern Florida. Larry McCray had informed me that he was gathering songs for a proposed second album for Joe Bonamassa’s KTBA Records, so I was spinning my brain to come up with some new material while I was also pitching old material to Larry. I told … [Read more...]
Crazy Chestur 5X5
In October 2022, Crazy Chestur spent a few days in Grand Rapids recording our new album 5X5. Producer Michael 'The Colonel' Crittenden led the guys through five tracks, three originals and two covers. Aside from recent addition, 'Drink Drank Drunk,' all these songs have become fan favorites at live shows. We had a little help on backing vocals from Kyle Rasche and The … [Read more...]
My Four Novels
As many have developed new habits, good and bad, during the pandemic era, I dove into writing fiction. Since childhood, I have dreamed of working as a writer, a novelist. Over the years, I had written several short stories and three-page vignettes, but never anything more than a few thousand words. Once I began the process of putting together full-length stories, I … [Read more...]