Brandon Ray

Drawing equally from soul, heartland rock, and modern country, Brandon Ray comfortably fit into a new vanguard of country singers of the mid-2010s -- musicians who were grounded in all-American rock yet showed a facility with modern R&B rhythms, musicians like Sam Hunt, Kip Moore, and Brett Eldredge, who gave Ray a break by hiring him as a touring guitarist. Raised in the West Texas city of Big Spring, Ray initially harbored dreams of playing baseball, but a foot injury turned his attention to music. At 13, he bought his first guitar and began playing and writing songs. He for...