Spalding Rockwell Gray (June 5, 1941 – c. January 11, 2004) was an American actor and writer. He is best known for driving autobiographical monologues that he wrote and performed for theater in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as for his film adaptations of these works, beginning in 1987. He wrote and starred in several films, working with different directors.
Theater critics John Willis and Ben Hodges called Gray’s monologues “trenchant, personal narratives delivered on sparse, unadorned sets with a dry, WASP, quiet mania.” Gray achieved renown for his monologue Swimming to Cambodia, which he adapted as a 1987 film in which he starred; it was directed by Jonathan Demme. Other of his monologues that he adapted for film were Monster in a Box (1991), directed by Nick Broomfield, and Gray’s Anatomy (1996), directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Gray died by suicide at the age of 62 after jumping into New York Harbor on January 11, 2004. He had been struggling with depression and severe injuries following a car accident. Soderbergh made a documentary film about Gray’s life, And Everything Is Going Fine (2010). An unfinished monologue and a selection from his journals were published in 2005 and 2011, respectively.
This post is not about the actor, even though I’m using his photo. The post is about a band that took their name from the actor. It was called Spalding’s Grey. They modified the last name. Added an apostrophe. But who was behind this band? To me this is a big mystery.
I want to think the band dates from the mid late 80s. Or most possibly the early 90s. That’s where I place their sound. I’ve only heard the one song and is called “100 Years No One Noticed”. And it is premonitory. No one has noticed the band. It has flown under the radar and there’s nothing online about them.
Were they British? I want to think yes. It sounds to me British. But I can’t confirm. There are more questions than answers. So I hope someone remembers anything about then, any details, and I can start understanding a bit more this band.
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