Stephen Bray is an American songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Detroit. Bray is best known for his collaboration with Madonna.

Bray began studying music through private instruction in Detroit, and continued his education at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Bray owns and operates Saturn Sound recording studios and the Soultone Records record label.

Career

Collaboration with Madonna

Bray met Madonna during her pre-stardom when she attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for dance. The pair went to New York and became part of the band The Breakfast Club. Eventually they began writing songs together on their own, and when Madonna obtained her recording contract with Sire Records, she continued collaborating with Bray.

Together, they have written and produced some of the biggest hit songs of the 1980s, including several of Madonna's biggest hits. The songs Bray and Madonna composed often followed a distinctive structure, many of which repeats the song's second verse and bridge before fading out with the chorus. Their partnership appears to have concluded with their work on Madonna's Like a Prayer album.

Bray still holds the master recordings to many unreleased Madonna songs, including those on the album Pre-Madonna (which Bray released in 1997 without Madonna's authorization), and is married to movie producer Stephanie Allain, who produced Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan.

The Color Purple

Bray made his Broadway debut in 2005 as composer and lyricist for the Broadway version of the Alice Walker book, The Color Purple. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his work on the show.

Selected Credits

• Ain't No Big Deal, by Barracuda (original demo by Madonna) on Epic Records 1982

• Warning Signs, Madonna (unreleased)

• Angel, Madonna

• Stay, Madonna

• Pretender, Madonna

• Over and Over, Madonna

• Into the Groove, Madonna

• Desperately Seeking Susan, Madonna (unreleased)

• Say It, Say It, E.G. Daily

• Baby Love, Regina, later covered by Dannii Minogue

• True Blue, Madonna

• Jimmy Jimmy, Madonna

• Where's The Party, Madonna

• Spotlight, Madonna

• Working my Fingers to the Bone, Madonna (unreleased)

• Pipeline, Madonna (unreleased)

• Cross My Broken Heart, The Jets

• Sendin' All My Love, The Jets

• Each time You Break My Heart, Nick Kamen with Madonna (original demo by Madonna)

• Right On Track, The Breakfast Club

• Causing A Commotion, Madonna

• Can't Stop, Madonna

• Love Attack, Madonna (unreleased)

• First Is A Kiss, Madonna (unreleased)

• Express Yourself, Madonna

• Keep It Together, Madonna

• Baby Gonna Shake, Royalty

• Get Over, Nick Scotti (original demo by Madonna)

• Count The Days, Rhythm Of Love Kylie Minogue (on her 1990 album "Rhythm Of Love")

• Little Black Book, Gina G (on her 2005 album "Get Up & Dance")

• That's Why, The Party

• Needin' Someone, The Party

• Change On Me, The Party

See also

:Category:Songs written by Stephen Bray