ATLANTA, GA – Russell Gray, who was noted for mixing FOH for Eddie Rabbit, passed away peacefully in his sleep on the evening of February 23, 2016. He was 61. Gray was born in Richmond, CA in 1955 and during his 40-plus year career, worked closely with countless artists including Fleetwood Mac, Metallica and Bowie during the 1980’s and 90’s. After Rabbit’s passing in 1998, Gray went on to lead a less road-heavy life as an audio engineer, working mostly in and around the Atlanta area with Atlanta Sound and Lighting, Entertainment Design Group and Seriously Sound Inc.
Aside from being a person with a warm smile and a great sense of humor, Gray was the sound guy who could fix anything. That person who made your gig easier just knowing he’d be there. The guy who always had your back and who turned the worst situations in to your best memories. He was the guy that either pulled you out of the weeds or slept in them with you. His demeanor demanded respect and you could feel it. Not because you were doing what you were told but because you were doing what he wanted you to do, and you knew it was the right thing.
Gray had a profound and positive effect on every person he came in contact with, and for many people, he was their way in to the industry. He taught numerous people about the ins and outs of this business. Gray gave everything he had to everything he did, and he gave without expecting anything in return. His love for the live sound business was undeniable, but his true source of joy and pride he found in his son Alex. The industry lost one of the true great ones.
Gray is survived by his two sisters Sylvia and Colleen, his son Alex, his son’s wife Mara, and the many people who loved him. A celebration of his life was held in Atlanta at the Park Tavern on Sunday March, 6, 2016 and in Mobile, AL on March 20, 2016.
