The Recording Academy Statement on the Passing of Blues Legend Bobby “Blue” Bland
byFarez
0
source:The Recording Academy
When one thinks of the blues in this day and age, the first name that usually pops to mind is B.B. King, and that would not be wrong. However, blues legend Bobby “Blue” Bland is one of the iconic figures in blues history and one of my first records ever, was a white ceramic 78 record with Bobby “Blue” Bland and Blues Boy King (later B.B. King) live at the Palladium. I found it in a root cellar in a box with other records some of them the old 78 which was before the 73 1/3 albums many are familiar with.
As a youngster, I grew up with the sounds of my parent’s card parties and “grown folks” music, also known then as “belly rubbin music” and the blues where a HUGE PART of the musical fabric at that time in my early life. Bobby “Blue” Bland had a signature sound that nobody ever duplicated to my knowledge and his choking style lyrical cutoff on the tune “I’m Sorry” which he and B.B. King played together with his orchestra is one that jumps out at me.
The blues world, nay the MUSIC world lost another great in Bobby “Blue” Bland who died at the seasoned age of 83. Nothing will ever come close to that sound…I wouldn’t want anyone to even try; they would just ruin it.
