Bobby bland songs biography

Born Robert Calvin Bland, January 27, 1930, in Rosemark, TN. Military/Wartime Service: U.S. Army, early Fifties. Addresses: Record company--Malaco Records, P.O. Box 9287, 3023 Northside Move, Jackson, MS 39206.

As a songster, Bobby "Blue" Bland is reputed as the definitive blues artist, the "black [Frank] Sinatra," significance Dave Marsh described him arrangement the Rolling Stone Record Operate. Often backed by a spartan rhythm section and deftly in readiness horn lines, Bland became get out for his sexy, liquid-smooth come close. He rarely sang hard blues; his style was one jump at distilled fervor.

Although Bland never truly crossed over to white audiences, as has his friend Inexpert. B. King, he has archaic enduringly popular. According to Book Whitburn's Top R&B Singles: 1942-88, Bland is the Number 11 rhythm and blues chart creator of all time; in loftiness blues genre he trails lone King. In a listing on the way out top artists of the Decennary, Bland is at Number Duo, ahead of a slew delineate household names. Bland has not ever been highly visible; his seed audience remains the black grievous crowd. Another explanation offered care his neglected mainstream status assay that he is mainly systematic singer and not an participant. Still, saying Bobby "Blue" Suave is just a singer wreckage akin to calling Picasso openminded a painter.

Bland was born Jan 27, 1930, in Rosemark, River, and had a rural immaturity. He listened primarily to news and white country singers period growing up. At the spot of 17, Bland moved do faster his mother to Memphis, hoop the youngster continued to along with in church and in fleshly street groups. His first load, the Miniatures, was short lived.

By 1949 Bland was working by the same token B. B. King's chauffeur stomach at times as Roscoe Gordon's valet--anything to stay close flavour blues music. He was any minute now a part of the Beale Streeters, a vocal group go also included Johnny Ace, Gordon, and King. Based on trim love of spirituals and depiction urban blues that filled primacy street for which they were named, the Beale Streeters prolonged on for a year.

By 1951 Bland had signed with D.J. James Mattis's Duke Recordings. Old to that the singer esoteric cut three singles that were released on three different, despite the fact that prominent, R&B labels: Chess, Different, and Duke. Though he abstruse yet to find his turmoil style, Bland was in magnanimity thick of the R&B scene--the Chess sides were produced stomach-turning Sam Phillips, the Modern unique by Ike Turner.

In 1952 Flavorless was drafted into the U.S. Army; by the end be a devotee of his tour he was performance in Special Services, covering Nat King Cole and Charles Chromatic songs. When he returned shoulder 1955, Bland began touring kind Junior Parker's valet and option act. In the meantime, seesaw and roll had arrived groove the person of Elvis Presley; crossover possibilities for black gen were subsequently opened. Duke abstruse been purchased by Don Robey, a shadowy Houston businessman. Robey admired Bland and quickly teamed him with the Bill Scientist Orchestra, a Memphis group; excellence result was the song "It's My Life Baby."

When "Farther autograph up the Road" hit Calculate One on the R&B charts in 1957, it was illustriousness beginning of a tremendous scurry for Bland at Duke. Authority song's success is difficult recognize pinpoint--it is typical blues careful both arrangement and sensibility. Blue blood the gentry difference may have been depart Bland was now telling uncluttered convincing story, making brief show enthusiasm vignettes highly believable with coronate conversational style. All of coronate songs were written for him; even when a song was written by a member a selection of Bland's band, Robey would tinge it to the anonymous incognito of "Deadric Malone," thus boosting songwriting royalties himself.

In 1958 Robey hooked Bland up with Joe Scott, a gifted arranger, novelist, and trumpeter. Hits like "Little Boy Blue" and "Bobby's Blues" kept coming, often increasing hold orchestral sophistication and emotional fluency. Bland was greatly influenced through the Reverend C. F. Printer, soul sensation Aretha Franklin's churchman, who cried out biblical passages in what Bland referred not far from as a "squall." As subside lost his high falsetto, Stale began combining the squall take up again a rapid vibrato--a style go off would be a cornerstone selected modern soul singing. With Actor, Bland continued to work handing over his diction and phrasing, manufacture each song an entity unto itself. And the touring was nonstop; between 1958 and 1968, Bland played 300 one-nighters smashing year for several years emit a row. In addition say nice things about collecting gold records and depreciatory accolades while continually working mislead the road, Bland also girl up a pernicious problem touch alcohol. An alcoholic for 18 years, drinking up to link fifths a day, Bland would not confront his problem undetermined the early 1970s.

Great Bland songs continued throughout the 1960s: 1961's "I Pity the Fool" reached Number One, as did 1963's "That's the Way Love Is." Other songs, including "Stormy Monday" and "Turn On Your Lovelight," went on to earn justness distinction of R&B standards. Nobility body of work Bland begeted while with Duke-- collected be sold for 1992 in a CD enclosed set--lifted him to the preeminence of sole patriarch of yielding soul singing; only B. Cack-handed. King's influence has been improved enduring overall.

In 1968 Scott with the addition of guitarist Wayne Bennett left Boring. Between 1968 and 1971 interpretation singer fought depression while voyages with the Ernie Fields Bind, a Tulsa band that beside many critics' accounts inappropriately translated Bland's distinct style. In 1973, after Robey's death, Duke was purchased by ABC/Dunhill, a reputation that soon attempted to trade mark Bland a mainstream artist, linking him with Four Seasons creator Steve Barri for both Fulfil California Album and Dreamer. Both releases successfully crossed over clutch white audiences, though many vapours fans felt the music detonation be compromised. In 1979, aft experimenting with the disco durable, Bland moved to MCA Registry. Although he was floundering well enough, Bland did record the staggering "Ain't No Heart in righteousness City," later a hit senseless the rock band Whitesnake.

In 1985 Bland signed with Malaco, influence fiercely independent R&B label home-produced in Jackson, Mississippi. It has been a positive pairing uncontaminated both artist and label. Ill-matched many blues and soul experience that were preeminent in significance 1960s, Bland has matured moderate. His first album for Malaco, Members Only, was a unsurpassed return to form. He was nominated for a Grammy Reward in 1989 for the air "Get Your Money Where Give orders Spend Your Time" and followed the achievement with the distinguished Midnight Run, an album go off spent nearly a year promote a half on the R&B charts.

In 1991 Bland was inducted into the Rock & Demolish Hall of Fame, an favor evidencing the quality of surmount work and his influence go bankrupt subsequent generations. It could aside argued that more than coarse other figure, Bland moved excellence blues away from its abstruse and primitive origins while quiet keeping its spirit intact. Stylishness was, as one of ruler greatest albums noted, "two ladder from the blues"; yet recognized was also just a the boards from starting rock and roll.

by Stewart Francke

Bobby "Blue" Bland's Career

Briefly joined group the Miniatures, 1949; worked as B. Undexterous. King's chauffeur, 1950; with Johnny Ace and Roscoe Gordon, familiar the Beale Streeters, 1951; sign with Duke label, 1951; began playing 300 onenighters per yr with Junior Parker, 1958; transcriber Joe Scott and guitarist Player Bennett left Bland, 1968; gestural with Malaco label, 1984; enclosed set of the Duke recordings, I Pity the Fool: Grandeur Duke Recordings, released by MCA, 1992.

Bobby "Blue" Bland's Awards

Nominated assimilate a Grammy Award, 1989, operate "Get Your Money Where Support Spend Your Time"; inducted encouragement the Rock & Roll Lobby of Fame, 1991.

Famous Works

• Selective Works
• Two Steps From the Blues, Marquis, 1961.
• Call on Me, Duke, 1963.
• Touch of the Blues, Duke, 1968.
• His California Album, ABC Dunhill, 1973.
• Try Me, I'm Real, MCA, 1981.
• First Class Blues, Malaco, 1987.
• Midnight Hit, Malaco, 1989.
• I Pity the Fool: The Duke Recordings, MCA, 1992.

Further Reading

Sources

• Guralnick, Peter, Lost Highway, Crop, 1982.
• Heilbut, Anthony, The Verity credo Sound, fourth edition, Limelight, 1992.
• Rees, Dafydd, and Luke Crampton, Rock Movers and Shakers, Advocacy Books, 1991.
• Rolling Stone Lp Guide, edited by Anthony DeCurtis, James Henke, and Holly George-Warren, Straight Arrow, 1992.
• Rolling Cube Encyclopedia of Rock & Totter, edited by Jon Pareles gleam Patricia Romanowski, Rolling Stone Keep in check, 1983.
• Rolling Stone Record Coerce, edited by Dave Marsh, Gushing Stone Press, 1979.
• Scott, Administer, The Down Home Guide sort the Blues, A Capella Books, 1991.
• Whitburn, Joel, Top R&B Singles, 1942-88, Billboard Books, 1990.
• Additional information for this profile was obtained from Don Snowden's pool liner notes to I Pity ethics Fool: The Duke Recordings, MCA, 1992.