WESTFIELD-Cory Newell DeGray was a music legend in the city and beloved by his family, friends, and countless concertgoers who supported him in his more than 50 years performing with his band, the Knightsmen Band.
“He was my hero,” posted Korey Bruno on her Facebook page on Friday, as she said goodbye to her dad. “He was one of the best men I know and helped so much in raising our eight children and two grandchildren.”
During a summer concert at the Westfield Senior Center, Cory DeGray and the Knightsmen Band performed to a packed crowd. His daughter, Korey Bruno, is seen on keyboards.
Within hours of Bruno’s posting, hundreds of messages started flooding her Facebook page with prayers being sent to the family and accolades to the testament of DeGray being the consummate gentleman.
“We lost an institution in the passing of Cory,” said Mayor Brian P. Sullivan. “He was known to so many for various reasons from go-to mechanic to community leader to top notch musician. Cory will continue to be a part of our community through the family he raised and the continued support they give Westfield. We will all miss the King Knightsman.”
DeGray, who was also the owner of DeGray’s Service, Inc., an auto and repair shop on Meadow Street, died Friday surrounded by his family and friends. He was 71.
“He was loved by so many and will be missed,” said Bruno in her post. “I promise, his legacy will live on through the Knightsmen Band and DeGray’s Service.”
DeGray, a lifelong city resident, graduated from Westfield Trade School and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. When he returned to the city, he worked at Pease Chrysler Plymouth and then Taylor Dodge, and in 1974, opened DeGray’s Service, and in 1967, formed the Knightsmen Band.
The Knightsmen Band celebrated 50 years of entertaining this past summer and DeGray especially relished those concerts when he was performing in the city – always to a packed audience. During a summer gig at the Westfield Senior Center – which too was packed to capacity – he reminisced during an interview about the “early years” playing at the Westgate Lounge and The Glen in Russell.
“When the band started we played country music,” said DeGray, noting that during performances he would also receive requests for songs from the 50’s and 60’s and knew they needed to add them to their song list.
“If we didn’t know the song, we spent time learning it,” he said.
Over the years the band performed at venues along the East Coast and in the Midwest, and opened shows for top musical groups including The Drifters, Billy Joe Royal, The Tokens, Firefall, and Joey Dee and the Starlighters.
One of the most memorable gigs for DeGray was opening for Jefferson Airplane.
“The greatest high was performing for three nights in Virginia with Jefferson Airplane,” said DeGray to the senior center audience. “We remember those three nights but I’m not sure if the members of Jefferson Airplane do.”
While DeGray was known as “The Boss” – he credited all of the musicians working together as a team. The “team” includes Bob Burke on lead guitar, drummer Dave Ziemnicki, Korey Bruno on keyboards, and her husband, Tony, on bass. During the summer, band members received recognition by the Westfield Mayor’s Office and the Massachusetts Senate for their 50-year rock ‘n roll milestone.
Since the Summer of Love – 1967 – DeGray set the bar high for engaging and entertaining rock ’n roll audiences.
“While we were at our son’s wedding reception, we all received texts with videos from the Mayor’s Tree Lighting,” said Bruno during an interview Sunday night. “It was truly humbling to hear the mayor give a tribute on the town green.”
DeGray leaves his wife of 50 years, Theresa; his mother, Gail; younger sister, Marcia; daughter Korey Bruno and her husband, Tony, their eight children, Nino, Cory, Matthew, Andrew, Karina, Hannah, Camille, and Angela, and great-grandchildren, Sophia and Cory Joseph Bruno. He was preceded in death by his older sister, Bonnie, and his father, Newell.
The funeral will be conducted Thursday at 9 a.m. from the Firtion Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad St., followed by a Christian burial at 10 a.m. at Holy Trinity Church, followed by burial at Pine Hill Cemetery. Persons attending the funeral are welcome to attend a reception at noon at the East Mountain Country Club. Visiting hours are planned Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in DeGray’s name to the Knightsmen Band Excellence in Show Choir Scholarship Fund or the college trust fund for Cory’s grandchildren, c/o United Bank.
Bruno noted that all of the Knightsmen Band members will be at the reception to play a few songs and her sons who have their own band will also perform.
“I can’t think of a better tribute to my dad than to keep the band going – for another 50 years,” said Bruno. “Our children will keep his music alive.”
