The band members grew up in Orange County , California. Rodney

The band members grew up in Orange County , California. Rodney Sheppard played in several reggae bands and worked with future Good Charlotte drummer Dean Butterworth . In the late 1980s, prior to Sugar Ray, Sheppard and Stan Frazier played together in a band under the name The Tories. Later additions Murphy Karges and Mark McGrath changed the band’s name to Shrinky Dinx (initially “Shrinky Dinks”). After signing with Atlantic Records , the name was changed to Sugar Ray, after Sugar Ray Leonard , upon threat of a lawsuit from the Milton Bradley Company , maker of the Shrinky Dinks toy.