The Native American blues band formally known as Cecil Gray and the Red Dawn Blues Band has migrated to the Cecil Gray Native Blues band.  In 2004, our band won the prestigious NAMA award at the 7th Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA) at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FLA. The award was the ''Best Blues/Jazz Recording'' for the cd "Indian Harmony''. The annual awards were established in 1998 to recognize traditional and contemporary Native American artists who make significant contributions to the world of music. The 2004 award winners were selected from over 150 nominations submitted from North, Central, and South American.

 

Cecil Gray is a six-time NAMA nominee.  He is an independent artist with four blues and one gospel album. Each of these albums submitted to the NAMA organization achieved a NAMA nomination.  His current band is  'Cecil Gray Native Blues', they recently completed an album titled ''Saddle Mountain Blues", which is a tribute to classical blues songs, plus one original song.

 

On May 23, 2015 Cecil was honored to be inducted into the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame at the Down Home Blues Club in Rentiesville, OK. Inductions are based on those who have lived in Oklahoma or have helped with the Rentiesville Blues Festival and who carry the music forward with dignity.

 

The band members are Cecil Gray (lead singer, lead guitar, harmonica), Terry Tsotigh (Drums), and Patrick Tointigh (Bass Guitar).  The talented musicians blend their musical abilities to contribute to the continuation of Blues music.

 

In 2004, an exuberate Cecil Gray and the Red Dawn Blues Band took the stage and proudly accepted the pretigious NAMMY Award at the 7th Annual Native American Music Award.  The “Best Blues/Jazz Recording” award was for the cd “Indian Harmony”.  The music was unique as all twelve songs on the cd were originals.  The blues songs were composed and sung by Cecil Gray, who plays lead guitar and harmonica.  This achievement was the pinnacle of his musical talents.  The five time NAMMY nominee has been heavily influenced by Jimmy Reed, Robin Trower, and the great Jimi Hendrix.

 

Cecil Gray is an enrolled member of the Kiowa Nation.  An accomplished singer, songwriter, and guitarist, he has been playing guitar and harmonica for forty-seven years.  In 1973, he joined the Native American dance troupe and toured the southwestern United States.  In 1986, Cecil obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a 3.2 GPA.  For the next twelve years he sang and played lead guitar and harmonica with the Blackhawk Blues Band.  The band recorded two cd’s titled “Gypsy Blue” and “Rainy”.  In 2002, at the 5th Annual Native American Music Award, the second cd, “Rainy” was nominated in two categories:  Best Blues/Jazz Recording and the Debut Artist/Group of the Year.  Eight of the twelve songs on the cd were original songs written and sung by Cecil.  In 2003, he formed his own blues band called, “Cecil Gray and the Red Dawn Blues Band”.  The band’s first cd, “Indian Boy Indian Girl”, was nominated in 2003 for the 6th Annual Native American Music Awards in the Best Blues/Jazz Recording catagory.  In the following year, at the 7th Annual Native American Music Awards Cecil and his band won the “Best Blues/Jazz Recording”  award for the cd “Indian Harmony”.  In 2005, Cecil sang and recorded the gospel cd “Prayer Warriors”, whose singers featured his mother (Dorothy Gray) and his aunt (Vivian Komardly).  In 2006, at the 8th Annual Native American Music Awards the gospel cd was nominated the “Best Gospel/Christian/Inspirational Recording”.