Bobby (Blue) Bland, Soul And Blues Balladeer, Dies at 83

When I was bored with rock and roll in the early seventies I went looking for an alternative. Something that would challenge me musically and intellectually as well as touch my heart.  I found the Blues. In all it's many shades. I formed a blues band, started playing harp nine hours a day and began to live the history that is the blues. We thought we were a hot blues band until we ran into some one that really was. I listened to everything from Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, J. Geils, The Siegal Schwall Band Ray Charles, T. Bone Walker and many others. The man that stuck out in my heart, and in my soul, was Bobby Bland. And now a legend has left the building. "Bobby (Blue) Bland, the debonair balladeer whose sophisticated, emotionally fraught performances helped modernize the blues, died on Sunday at his home in Germantown, Tenn., a suburb of Memphis. He was 83. His death was confirmed by his son, Rodd, who played drums in his band."http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/arts/music/bobby-blue-bland-soul-and-blues-balladeer-dies-at-83.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

So now I'll grab some old blues and remember a legend.