iSound

The upbringing and original history of artist, Dobie Gray, is sketchy at best. People argue about the artist’s true birth name, birth date, and place of birth. Gray was born either Larence Darrow Brow or Leonard Victor Ainsworth. Most scholars believe he was born on July 26, 1942 (some think 1940) in Brookshire, Texas (some state that the artist was born in Simonton, Texas). It is known, however, that he grew up in a family of sharecroppers and had a Baptist minister for a grandfather. His grandfather influenced Gray with Gospel music. Gray was also influenced by country music. In the early 1960s, Gray moved to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming a star. While there, he recorded a bunch of albums under the pseudonyms: Leonard Ainsworth, Larry Curtis, and Larry Dennis. He had his first hit single in 1963 with “Look at Me.” He soon followed with the mild hit, “The ‘In’ Crowd.” Soon after, he had a chart appearance with the track, “See You At The Go-Go.” Afterwards, Gray took a small br...