Robert Cray to Open Park City Institute's 20th Anniversary Season at Eccles Center

Hall of Fame blues guitarist, and five-time Grammy winner, Robert Cray, brings his smooth voice, and masterful guitar skills to open the Park City Institute's 20th Anniversary Season at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center, on December 9.

"Robert Cray's musical chops, and the emotional connection he brings to the guitar, are legendary, " said Park City Institute Executive Director Teri Orr. "He has earned the admiration of John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, and Eric Clapton, and we're honored to have Cray open our 20th Anniversary season."

Cray grew up in the Pacific Northwest, listening to the gospel of the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Bobby Bland's soul, Jimi Hendrix's rock guitar and the Beatles' pop sounds. He formed a band as a teenager, creating a sound driven by Southern Soul and the blues. As his career developed, he incorporated the influences of his favorite blues players-from Buddy Guy and Otis Rush to Albert King and "Master of the Telecaster," Albert Collins-as he played to packed bars and roadhouses in the Northwest and in California.

"We were doing blues and R&B from the first," says Cray. "That's just part of what we do. If you're writing a tune, it's only natural to grab something from someplace else. You're gonna put in some soul changes, and some jazz, something you've been listening to. With what we do, there's a lot of room to move."

Cray's ability to harness those influences into his voice and guitar playing-called "clean, tight, and powerful," by Vintage Guitar Magazine-fuels a career that has already spanned four decades, and multiple genres. When he earned the recognition of rock-and-roll radio programmers in the mid-80s, his fame skyrocketed. Soon, there were arena shows, festivals, and the kind of fame no other African-American had achieved in the genre since Jimi Hendrix.

Tickets to Robert Cray are available at parkcityinstitute.org, or by calling the box office at 435-655-3114. Individual tickets range from $29 to $79 for regular season performances (Special Events and children's shows have different pricing). Discounts are available for children (16 and under), seniors, and Summit County students (K-12). Call the Box Office at 435-655-3114 for more information. The Box Office is located within the Eccles Center (1750 Kearns Boulevard, Park City.) Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday; the Box Office is open from noon through show time, on the day of a performance.

**PCI MEMBERSHIP EXCLUSIVE: Season punch cards of 10 (redeemable for all regular season shows, excluding New Year's Eve and our 20th Anniversary Party) are available for $240 (sapphire) $420 (ruby) and $690 (amethyst). For membership information, visit parkcityinstitute.org.

Park City Institute is a non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing world-class performances and new ideas to the community. Since 1998, PCI has presented internationally renowned and cutting edge musicians, actors, authors, comedians, dancers, speakers, and film, at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Center for the Performing Arts (a joint-use facility with the Park City School District). The organization will embark on its 15th season of headliner concerts at Deer Valley Resort, next summer. PCI is dedicated to introducing young people to the arts through free student outreach workshops, shows and demonstrations. Since 2010, PCI has offered a free, after-school literacy program to students in grades one through 12 at the thinky and fun tutoring hub, The Mega-Genius Supply Store and IQ HQ (located at 435 Swede Alley).

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