Murray was born in Joliet, Illinois, and attended high school in Chicago.
He then joined the Detroit, Michigan based band of Jean Goldkette, with whom he remained until 1927.
[1] After a brief stint with Adrian Rollini's band, during which he contributed to several highly regarded recordings by Bix Beiderbecke, Murray was hired by Ted Lewis.
"[2] In 2021, the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and World Archives in Davenport, Iowa, announced that it would raise $12,000 to renovate its permanent exhibit, including Murray's saxophone.
[3] Murray died in 1929 at a Los Angeles hospital after injuries sustained in an automobile accident.