What Robert Cray Band Inc does

Robert Cray Band Inc is a privately held American musical act founded in 1974 and headquartered operationally through ONELIVE LLC (Austin, TX). The band's core business is the performance, recording, and monetization of blues, soul, R&B, gospel, and rock music centered on Robert Cray as lead vocalist and guitarist. The current touring lineup comprises Robert Cray, Richard Cousins (bass), Dover Weinberg (keyboards), and Les Falconer (drums), with Steve Jordan producing and Susan Turner-Cray managing.

The company generates revenue through three streams: live concert ticket sales booked via WME across North American theaters, casinos, and concert venues; direct-to-consumer merchandise and music sales through a Shopify storefront at robertcray.com offering apparel, accessories, signed memorabilia, CDs, vinyl, and DVDs; and digital music distribution through Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon Music. Merchandise pricing ranges from $10 for accessories to $100 for premium signed collectibles, with CDs at $10.99 and vinyl at $16.99. Operations including fulfillment, customer service, and data processing are outsourced to ONELIVE LLC.

The band's competitive position is anchored by 50+ years of touring, 20+ studio and live albums, five Grammy Awards, a Blues Hall of Fame induction, and an Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. Distribution is multi-channel and low-friction, with no proprietary platform dependency. The business is privately owned by Robert Cray with no institutional investment, no subsidiaries, no disclosed revenue, and active touring scheduled through at least August 2026.

Name

Robert Cray Band Inc

Legal name

Robert Cray Band Inc

Website

https://robertcray.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Robert Cray Band Inc is a privately held, Grammy-winning blues and soul band founded in 1974 that monetizes live touring, a Shopify DTC storefront for merchandise and music, and streaming distribution to individual fans across North America and digital channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music & Entertainment

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers (4591)

SIC

Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)

akta.pro primary industry

Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles (MPAIAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fan Club, Community & CRM Management (MPAIAGAJ)

Keywords

• Live blues performances
• Music album sales
• Band merchandise retail
• Concert tour tickets
• Blues music streaming

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from live performances at venues across North America. The band tours extensively with shows booked through WME agency at various theaters, casinos, and concert venues.
2. Merchandise Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts), accessories (mugs, shot glasses, tumblers, bandanas, coasters, magnets), posters, and signed memorabilia. Prices range from $10 for pins to $60 for signed collectible packages.
3. Music Sales and Streaming: Sales of albums in physical formats (CD, vinyl) and digital streaming through Apple Music, Tidal, Spotify, and Amazon. Album prices range from $10.99 for CD to $16.99 for vinyl.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Robert Cray Band is a five-time Grammy-winning blues and soul band that delivers live concert performances across North American theaters, casinos, and concert halls. In parallel, it operates a Shopify-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce store selling branded merchandise (apparel, accessories, signed memorabilia, tour passes, posters) and music in physical (CD, vinyl) and digital formats, supplemented by distribution through third-party streaming platforms.

Product overview

Robert Cray Band Inc operates a Shopify-based e-commerce store selling merchandise and music directly to fans. The product portfolio consists of music albums (CDs, vinyl, and digital formats) as the core offering, complemented by branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts), accessories (mugs, pins, bandanas, tea towels, coasters), tour passes/laminates, signed posters and tour programs, and concert DVDs. The store features the Groovin' 50 Years collection commemorating the band's 50th anniversary since 1974. Music distribution also occurs through third-party streaming platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Albums (CD, Vinyl, Digital)

Quantifiable outcome

• Five Grammy Awards won
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WME (William Morris Endeavor)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWME serves as the booking agency for The Robert Cray Band. Brodie Becker handles North America booking ([email protected]) while Michael Cherella handles International booking ([email protected]).
• ONELIVE LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerONELIVE LLC (EIN 35-2769683) handles ecommerce fulfillment, customer service, fan community management, and data processing for robertcray.com. Located at 4101 Smith School Rd, Building 3, #300, Austin TX 78744. Provides marketing, customer service, and operational support for the band's online presence.
• TicketmasterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary ticketing platform for concert ticket sales at venues including Uptown Theatre Napa, Thunder Valley Casino Resort, and Humphreys Concerts by the Bay
• Apple MusicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital music streaming and distribution platform for Robert Cray Band albums including That's What I Heard, Strong Persuader, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, and Showdown
• TidalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital music streaming platform for Robert Cray Band catalog including That's What I Heard, Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm, In My Soul, and Nothing But Love albums

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Joe Bonamassa: Contemporary blues-rock guitarist with extensive touring, large catalog, and active e-commerce/merchandise business. Comparable as a working blues guitarist with both legacy credibility and active merchandising operations.
• Taj Mahal: Blues Hall of Fame inductee with a 50+ year career blending blues, soul, R&B, and roots — directly parallel to Robert Cray's genre blend. Comparable as a legacy blues artist still actively touring and selling recorded music.
• Buddy Guy: Legendary blues guitarist with a multi-Grammy career and decades of touring. Closely comparable to Robert Cray as a peer-tier blues legend with active touring, catalog sales, and direct-to-fan merchandise operations.
• Stevie Ray Vaughan (Estate/Catalog): Legendary blues guitarist whose catalog and estate continue generating significant sales. Comparable as a legacy blues artist whose recorded music catalog and merchandise remain commercially active decades after active touring.
• George Thorogood & The Destroyers: Blues-rock touring act currently co-headlining with Robert Cray on 2026 dates. Highly comparable as a peer-tier legacy act with similar touring economics, ticket pricing, and venue circuit (theaters, casinos).
• Keb' Mo': Multiple-Grammy blues artist with active touring, recorded music catalog, and direct fan engagement. Comparable in career arc, genre focus, and operational structure as a privately managed touring blues act.
• Bonnie Raitt: Multiple-Grammy blues/roots artist with a comparable touring cadence and D2C merch store. Comparable in scale, genre blend (blues/rock/soul), and reliance on legacy catalog and live performance.

Emerging players

• John Mayer: Modern blues-rock artist with both pop crossover appeal and deep blues credibility (Dead & Company, solo blues records). Comparable as a guitar-focused artist straddling blues and mainstream audiences, though at a substantially larger scale and broader audience.

Others

• Alligator Records: Independent blues label and adjacent industry participant. Comparable as an ecosystem player in blues music distribution and artist representation that operates in the same recorded-music/merch ecosystem as the Robert Cray Band.

Broad incumbents

• Eric Clapton: Multi-Grammy rock/blues legend who has performed with Robert Cray. Comparable as a globally recognized guitar legend with massive catalog and major-label touring, though at a substantially larger scale and broader genre footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCahDpkPEDtmrzuGM9wPeVrA
• Facebookfacebook.com/robertcraymusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/robertcrayofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robert-cray-band-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Robert Cray Band Inc