Kellye Gray

A jazz singer who brought a generous helping of Texas bravado to the stage, Gray was a creative force on the Bay Area scene for a quarter century, even though she often lived elsewhere. Just months after moving to Paris last winter she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died within two weeks on Dec. 29. 2017. Her Texas friend, Rachel Kirkland, who in announcing her death quoted her talking about singing. "It was always about God; about the bigger picture. I am a spirit and my goal from the beginning was to uplift the masses with my voice. It wasn't always music, but it was always through my voice, my truth... however that voice was expressed, know what I mean? But, in the end though, what I can truly say is ‘the greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.' That's it."