Mountain Stage kicks off its 29th season with the Robert Cray Band at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, W.Va. Unlike some American blues guitarists of his generation, Cray found his way to his instrument through The Beatles.

After legendary bluesman Albert Collins played Cray's high school graduation, the young musician's fate was sealed. It wasn't long before Cray was in Collins' backing band.

Cray's own recordings helped fuel the '80s blues revival, earning him five Grammy Awards and solidifying his position at festivals around the world.

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