Singer and harp man Sugar Ray Norcia’s career kicked into high gear in 1979 when he formed the original Sugar Ray and the Bluetones with guitar giant Ronnie Earl, and it has stayed there ever since.
In the ‘90s Norcia spent seven high-profile years with the legendary Roomful of Blues. He cut five albums with the group including 1996’s TURN IT ON,TURN IT UP, which also received a “Best Traditional Blues” Grammy nod.
Today Norcia’s elan and robust tone makes his voice one of the most distinctive, well-defined and recognizable instruments in modern blues.
Sugar Ray’s latest release on Severn Records called “Evening” was nominated for five 2012 Blues Music Awards including “Album of the Year”, “Band of the Year”, “Traditional Blues Album”, “Instrumentalist – Harmonica” and “Instrumentalist – Bass”. In 2012 Ray was also inducted into Rhode Island’s Music Hall of Fame. Sugar Ray Norcia was nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award for his contribution on an album entitled “Remembering Little Walter” on Blind Pig Records.This was his third Grammy nomination. It featured Sugar Ray Norcia, Mark Hummel, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Boy Arnold and James Harman.This same recording has been nominated for two 2014 Blues Music Awards including “Album of the Year” and “Traditional Blues Album”.
Sugar Ray and the Bluetones have a new Severn Records release scheduled for the spring of 2014.