Singer Bobby "Blue" Bland has died at the age of 83, his son said Monday.
Bland's son Rodd
told us that failing health had forced his dad off the stage earlier this year.
"He had a hole in his stomach that had become tumorous, and it was
emptying into his bloodstream."
He said Bland passed away from natural causes at his home in
Germantown, Tennessee. "He was in my arms," his son said. "But
I'm not going to lie. I could have used at least 20 more years."
A website in Bland's name credits the singer with being
"one of the main creators of the modern soul-blues sound."
"He never b**ched about not getting his due," said
his son, who formerly was a drummer in his father's band. "When I took him
to Beale Street for ribs and catfish, fans would come up to him. He was always
courteous, polite and kind. And humble. That's what I admired."
Bland's song "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the
City" was sampled on Jay-Z's 2001 album, "The Blueprint."
According to his website, Bland was born in 1930 in Rosemark,
Tennessee, outside Memphis. He began his career singing with a gospel group
before joining the blues group the Beale Streeters, which included such future
stars as B.B. King, Junior Parker and others.
Bland was drafted into the Army in 1952. After his release
from the service in 1954, he resumed his musical career as a solo act and
established a long-term professional relationship with Duke Records. Soon he
had hits racing up the R&B charts, including "I Pity the Fool"
and "That's the Way Love Is."
Bland often toured with his former bandmate King, and King
was on hand to help induct the singer into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
1992.
People we lost in 2013: The
lives they lived
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