Bobby Blend

American blues and R&B singer. Born January 27, 1930, Rosemark, Tennessee, USA. Died June 23, 2013, Germantown, Tennessee, USA. He was sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues" and as the "Sinatra of the Blues".

In 1947, he moved to Memphis with his mother and started singing with local gospel groups there, including amongst others The Miniatures. Eager to expand his interests, he began frequenting the city's famous Beale Street where he became associated with an ad hoc circle of aspiring musicians including Wayne Bennett (2).

His first chart success came in 1957 with the R&B chart no. 1 hit Farther Up The Road, which also reached no.43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and followed it up with a series of hits on the R&B chart including Little Boy Blue (1958). He also shared an album with Parker, Blues Consolidated, in 1958. Bland's craft was most clearly heard on a series of early 1960's releases including Cry Cry Cry, I Pity The Fool (an R&B chart no.1 in 1961) and Turn On Your Love Light, which became a much covered standard. Despite credits to the contrary - often claimed by Robey - many such classic works were written by Joseph Scott. His final R&B no.1 came with That's The Way Love Is in 1963. However, he continued to enjoy a consistent run of R&B chart entries throughout the mid-1960's. Never truly breaking into the mainstream market, Bland's highest charting song on the pop chart, Ain't Nothing You Can Do peaked at #20 in 1964. He had 23 Top Ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts. Joel Whitburn ranked Bland the 13th all-time R&B charting artist in his 1996 book Top R&B Singles 1942-1995.

Financial pressures forced the singer to cut his touring band and in 1968 the group broke up. His record company Duke Records was sold by owner Don Robey to the larger Malaco Records, specialists in traditional Southern black music for whom he made a series of albums while continuing to tour and appear at concerts with fellow blues singer B. B. King.

Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Bland continued performing until shortly before his death. He died on June 23, 2013 at his home in Germantown, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis, after what family described as "an ongoing illness".