Robert Calvin Bland, better known as Bobby “Blue” Bland, the “Lion of the Blues,” passed away on Sunday, June 23rd, after fighting an ongoing illness. Bland was 83-years-old and leaves behind a legacy of blues, gospel and R&B that has garnered him comparisons with other vocal legends such as Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra.

Bland, born in Tennessee in 1930, got his start as a gospel singer. An original member of the Beale Streeters, Bland released several singles with Chess Records with little success. After a stint in the US army, Bland moved to Memphis and began to tour with Junior Parker. He was signed to Duke Records in 1956. He perfected a unique vocal style, grittier and rawer than many of his contemporaries. This style is said have been a tribute to the sermons of Reverend C. L. Franklin, father of Aretha Franklin.

Bland had a strong run with singles such as, “Farther Up the Road,” “Loan A Helping Hand,” I Smell Trouble,” “Don’t Want No Woman.” and “Teach Me (How to Love You).” He continued with moderate success working alongside Wayne Bennet throughout the ‘60s. His song “Ain’t Nothing You Can Do” peaked at #20, his most popular mainstream hit. Financial issues hit Bland during the late ‘60s, forcing him to disassemble his band, and he suffered from depression and alcoholism. He stopped drinking in 1971. He returned with two more hits “This Time I’m Gone for Good” and “Ain’t No Love In the Heart of the City.” Singers such as Van Morrison, Otis Redding and Greg Allman have all quoted Bland as an influence. His fame diminished in the ‘70s when Duke Records was sold to ABC records, but he continued to perform well into the 1990s and continued to have a strong following of fans. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

Although his recording career had largely faded, Bland’s music had a slight resurgence thanks to a slew of hip-hop producers who sampled songs from Bland’s extensive catalogue. Most notably his song “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City,” which has gained popularity due to a sample of the song in the track “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” in Jay-Z’s Blueprint album and the soundtracks to the films American Gangster and Lincoln Lawyer.

Bobby “Blue” Bland will be remembered for his dapper style, magnetic personality, and soulful voice.

— Matt Hengeveld