"Sugaray" Rayford, the energetic frontman for the blues band Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz exudes warmth and enthusiasm. He embraces life with a good-natured humility that took me by surprise.

I called him not long after he and his bandmates took top honors at the Blues Lovers United of San Diego sponsored regional International Blues Challenge (IBC) competition. The band wowed the judges and won over many local blues fans during the preliminary and final rounds of the contest. When the band opened the finals, held at the San Diego House of Blues on November 19, 2005, we were all impressed that they had the crowd hopping so early in the day (noon!). I wasn't sure what to expect when I called, but I needn't have worried — Sugaray was ready and willing to share his excitement over the band's win.


Sugaray: That was such an incredible day for us! We're so grateful to the San Diego blues community for giving us the opportunity to show Memphis that San Diego has heart and soul.

Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz also competed in Los Angeles. What made you decide to compete in San Diego as well?

Sugaray: Understand that this is our home. The fact is, we wanted to go to Memphis. We thought that competing in L.A. might be fun, and it was, but no matter how well we did up there, it was more important that we represent what the San Diego blues community is all about. We had a lot of L.A. A-list friends telling us we should try our luck up there and we figured it would be a great way to get to know more people and gain more exposure. In the end, our people are here in San Diego. The competition here was fair, based on talent instead of who you know. To win here meant that we really had what it takes to compete in the IBC.

Is it true that you all bought plane tickets to Memphis right after the win?

Oh yes! We got our tickets right away. We didn't want to wait. I guess we were a little excited.

Will the IBC be your first performance outside of California?

Actually, no. While we've been lucky enough to perform throughout the state, we've also had the great pleasure to travel to New Orleans, Florida, Arizona, Georgia, and even Australia for festivals. Word gets around about the band and people seem to like us.

Of course they do! You have a tight act and know how to get the audience on their feet. That makes me wonder, how long have you been performing as a band?

Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz have been together for 2 1/2-3 years. I met Dwane and Jimmy at a jam up in Temecula a few years ago and we hit it off. I'd been playing in a band called the Urban Gypsies. It was mostly a cover band. I wanted to play more original blues and meeting Dwane and Jimmy, forming Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz, and finding the right people to round out the group made that a reality. We all wanted to create something special. We rehearsed a lot, played a lot, and made it happen. We recorded our first CD six months after we started playing. It was well-received and we booked a lot of shows after that. Even with more bookings, we still rehearse at least once a week.

Sounds like you spend a lot of time together.

We do. And every time we get together, it's like a family reunion. We all love and respect the blues, love and respect our families and each other, and we talk. We make sure we're all working toward the same goals and keeping things real. The best thing about this group is that there are no egos, no animosity, and we have genuine affection for each other. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of people to work with. We're a family.

Family seems to be a recurring theme.

Right. Whether we're talking about our individual families or the band as a family, they're important. Everyone is important to our success. Our success as a band is due in large part to the support of our wives, parents, and children. Our love for all these fine people and for each other comes through in our music. Our experiences help shape the way we share the blues. We've all had our share of hard times and yet, it's because of the goodness of others, mainly family, that we're able to give of ourselves on stage.

I mean, I was running my farm up in Fallbrook. I was (and still am) growing avocados, selling them to places like Costco and Ralphs. I like it, but my heart is in the songs I sing. My wife told me I needed to pursue my dreams. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. We made some changes in our lives so that I could follow this path. Without her, none of this would be possible.

Are you taking your family to Memphis with you?


We're all taking our families with us! Like I said, they're the reason we're able to do what we do. Our success is their success. This is another chance for us to show them that we're honoring all they've given to help us. This is our tribute to them.

What about children? Do you have kids and are they involved in music in any way?

There are lots of kids! We involve them as much as possible. My son has performed with me. He sang with me on stage a few times. He's more into basketball, though. He's ranked #12 in the nation! 13 years old and ranked #12 for his age. Isn't that something?!

No matter what kids are doing, we love to include them as much as possible. Not just our kids, kids everywhere! Music is so important. It's inspiring. It touches the heart and takes you places you might not be able to go otherwise.

I think back to when I was a kid. I grew up in gospel. It was my foundation. When I was young, my mother did her best to raise us. She was dying of cancer and she still did whatever she could for us. We ended up moving in with our grandmother and suddenly it wasn't just gospel and soul to feast on. There was food. There was church. It got us through the hard times. That was a true gift.

Hard times were a little easier because of music. It's a part of my life that makes all this possible and I want to share that. Kids take to music if you make it available to them. Especially music that reflects the truth about life.

Music in general or just gospel, soul, or blues?

Gospel is special. It's praise for the Lord and praise for life. There's gospel in blues and in soul. It's there.

Now, blues. Blues is a live experience. Other music is dying out while blues is making a comeback. Why is that? It's because there's a spirit to the blues that is recognizable to anyone. Kids feel it. You just have to let them hear it. Nothing makes me smile more than to be at a festival and see whole families experiencing the power of the blues together.

The whole band feels a responsibility to children, to enrich their lives with music. That's why we look for opportunities to book shows like Hot Summer Nights, Jazz in the Park, and perform for the Special Olympics and, we have a really special group of foster kids up in Perris that we play for.

And you do all this in addition to the 180-190 shows each year?

We're blessed to be booked so consistently. If we don't give back, what's the point of doing anything else? We want to be successful as a band, not just in terms of bookings and money, but in being contributing members to the communities that show us support.

I guess that would explain why it's been so long between albums.

[Laughing] Don't you know it! It's wonderful to be able to play as much as we do. Recording's been delayed because of our performance schedule, but we're not complaining. We know we're blessed and we're grateful for all the many blessings we've been given.

Well, I'm grateful you were able to find time to talk with me. Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.

Thank you! And, thanks to all the BLUSD members who have come to see us play, who support the other artists in San Diego, and for helping make our dreams come true.

Congratulations on your win and good luck in Memphis!

Again, thank you. It means a lot to us to represent San Diego at the IBC. It's a great honor to stand alongside Nathan James and Ben Hernandez as the ambassadors for Southern California blues!

-------

No matter the outcome of the IBC, we're proud to call Sugaray, Moe, Joe, Jim, Dwane, and Bill BLUSD's (Aunt Kizzy's) Boyz.