Dobie Gray : The Ultimate Collection

 Dobie Gray

 (born Lawrence Darrow Brown) 

(July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011)

 was an 

American singer

 and songwriter.

 Gray's music

 spanned multiple genres,

 including soul, 

country, 

pop, 

and 

musical theater.

 His hit songs included

 "The 'In' Crowd"

 in 1965 

and 

"Drift Away"

 (a cover of a song written by Mentor Williams).

 "Drift Away" 

was one of the

 biggest hits of 1973,

 has sold over

 one million copies, 

and remains a

 staple of radio airplay.

Dobie Gray

was a member

 of the cast of

 Hair

 at the 

Aquarius Theater

 in Hollywood 

from

 1968 to 1969

Death

Gray died on

 December 6, 2011, 

of complications from

 cancer surgery

 in

 Nashville, Tennessee, 

aged 71.

 His remains 

were buried

 at Woodlawn 

Memorial Park 

And Mausoleum

 in Nashville. 

Upon his death, 

he bequeathed 100%

 of his musical assets

 and royalties

 in trust to benefit 

St. Jude

 Children's Research Hospital 

and the

 Tennessee School for the Blind.

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