The artist
Dustin Wray
Singer, songwriter, recording artist and author — eleven solo albums spanning rock, pop, gospel, metal and beyond.
Dustin Wray is a singer, songwriter, recording artist and author. Across eleven solo releases he has worked in just about every style the loud side of music has to offer — rock, pop, gospel, metal, acoustic, dance, instrumental and more — including seven Christian albums and four mainstream records.
On those releases, Dustin has recorded with some of the best musicians in the business: 2-time Grammy Award-nominated and 7-time Dove Award winner Phil Keaggy (Glass Harp, Cosmic Cathedral), 2-time Dove Award winner Rex Carroll (Whitecross, King James, Fierce Heart), Scott Foster Harris (former lead singer of L.A. Guns), CJ Grimmark (Narnia), Dale Thompson (Bride, fill-in lead singer for Stryper), Michael Roe (The 77s, Lost Dogs, Kerosene Halo), Liz Anne Hill (Starling Glow, Halo Circus) and Nick Giannakos (Wretch).
Dustin primarily records in the NE Ohio area, but he has also made trips to Nashville to record with some of the best studio musicians on Music Row. There he worked with producer Bill Warner (Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Michael W. Smith) and recorded with players like guitarist Jeff King (Johnny Cash, Faith Hill, Backstreet Boys, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire), pianist Tim McDonald (Blake Shelton, Rick Derringer, Hank Williams Jr., Olivia Newton-John), bassist Jimmy Carter (Jerry Lee Lewis, Toni Braxton, Dierks Bentley, George Jones, Alan Jackson), pianist Gary Prim (Kenny Chesney, John Fogerty, Alabama, Easton Corbin) and guitarist Danny Parks (Brooks and Dunn, George Jones, Hank Williams Jr., Toby Keith), among others.
Studio credits
Recorded with the best
- Phil Keaggy
Glass Harp, Cosmic Cathedral — 2-time Grammy Award nominee, 7-time Dove Award winner
- Rex Carroll
Whitecross, King James, Fierce Heart — 2-time Dove Award winner
- Scott Foster Harris
Former lead singer of L.A. Guns
- CJ Grimmark
Narnia
- Dale Thompson
Bride, fill-in lead singer for Stryper
- Michael Roe
The 77s, Lost Dogs, Kerosene Halo
- Liz Anne Hill
Starling Glow, Halo Circus
- Nick Giannakos
Wretch
Music Row, Nashville
Songs made on Music Row
- Bill Warner
Producer — Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Michael W. Smith
- Jeff King
Guitar — Johnny Cash, Faith Hill, Backstreet Boys, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire
- Tim McDonald
Piano — Blake Shelton, Rick Derringer, Hank Williams Jr., Olivia Newton-John
- Jimmy Carter
Bass — Jerry Lee Lewis, Toni Braxton, Dierks Bentley, George Jones, Alan Jackson
- Gary Prim
Piano — Kenny Chesney, John Fogerty, Alabama, Easton Corbin
- Danny Parks
Guitar — Brooks and Dunn, George Jones, Hank Williams Jr., Toby Keith
The author
Peter the Roman
Dustin's first two books, Peter The Roman volumes 1 & 2, were co-written by best-selling author and filmmaker Josh Peck of Renegade Publishers.
Josh spent several years with Skywatch TV, where he worked closely with author and Skywatch founder Tom Horn, and authors Derek and Sharon Gilbert, among others. He then spent time at Prophecy Watchers, working with author and founder Gary Stearman and author Mondo Gonzales, among many others. He now hosts his own show, The Daily Renegade. Josh has appeared on several prominent TV and radio programs, including The History Channel's In Search of with Zachary Quinto, The Science Channel's Forbidden History, and Coast to Coast AM with George Noory.
Peter The Roman volumes 1 & 2 are available on Amazon or at renegadepublishers.com. More writing projects are planned.
Service & study
A life of discipline
U.S. Army
Dustin was a Captain in the U.S. Army, where he commanded a 185-soldier Transportation Company (the 946th TC Co) during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also held two other commands in the states.
Prior to his time as a commissioned officer, Dustin served as an enlisted Special Operations soldier. After training at the JFK Special Warfare Center at Fort Bragg, NC, he spent time as a PSYOP Specialist, attaining the rank of Sergeant before going through the R.O.T.C. program at Central State University in Wilberforce, OH.
Education
Dustin graduated from Cedarville College (now Cedarville University) in Cedarville, OH in 1995 with a degree in Professional Writing and a minor in Bible — the same training that would later shape both his lyrics and his books.
On YouTube
Dustin Hockensmith
Dustin's YouTube channel is home to his music videos and his podcast, The Starship Atomdust Chronicles — named after his first "big budget" music video, "I Got You," where he plays a Starship Captain. The channel currently has about half a million subscribers.
Visit the channelBooking
booking@dustinwray.comPress & interviews
press@dustinwray.comManagement
management@dustinwray.com