Lisa Oliver Gray

Born in Elizabethtown, Lisa’s parents were singers and she began singing in church as a soloist at five years old. She knew from an early age that she wanted a career in music. She remembers her mom asking her what she wanted to be when she grew up: “A singer like Linda Ronstadt,” Lisa answered with no hesitation. 

Lisa moved to Bowling Green in 1981 to attend WKU. She took a few years to get a solid band together, but it eventually happened after she worked at Michael’s Pub, where she met lots of other local musicians, like Jonell Mosser, who helped her learn stagecraft. Lisa started performing in a cover band called Picture This, which she credits with helping her hone her vocal skills. They played in many Bowling Green venues and were well liked. “I think we brought a different kind of flavor to the music scene in Bowling Green,” Lisasays. The band broke the attendance record at Bones Kaelin’s club Yankee Doodle’s  with nearly 800 attendees. 

Lisa graduated from WKU while working and singing, then moved to Chicago where she performed regularly. She disliked the cold weather there, so she moved to Nashville. She got a job at Third Coast Cafe, a hot spot for musicians. She started doing studio sessions for metal bands and started a heavy metal band herself called Warning. She realized that wasn’t her passion (her favorite genre is New Wave), and she ended up becoming a backup singer for Tommy Womack after he saw her singing for others. 

Being a musician allowed Lisa to find success in other avenues. She owns businesses and is very active in the nonprofit world. She has played with many well-known musicians and did one solo record for her birthday on 11-11-11, and she plans to record more. Her local mentors include Jane Pearl, who showed her how to be gracious and kind on stage. Lisa remembers her time in Bowling Green fondly: it’s where she started writing her own songs, and she still works regularly with many of the people she met in Bowling Green, including Jeff “Smitty” Smith.