Bobby Bland
American blues and soul singer and musician (1930–2013) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer.
Bobby Bland | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Robert Calvin Brooks |
Also known as | Bobby "Blue" Bland |
Born | (1930-01-27)January 27, 1930 Barretville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Died | June 23, 2013(2013-06-23) (aged 83) Germantown, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Labels |
Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B.[1] He was described as "among the great storytellers of blues and soul music... [who] created tempestuous arias of love, betrayal and resignation, set against roiling, dramatic orchestrations, and left the listener drained but awed."[2] The inspiration behind his unique style was a Detroit Preacher, CL Franklin, because Bland studied his sermons.[3] He was sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues" and as the "Sinatra of the Blues".[4] His music was influenced by Nat King Cole.[5]
Bland was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012.[6] He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.[7] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame described him as "second in stature only to B.B. King as a product of Memphis's Beale Street blues scene".[4] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Bland at number 163 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[8]