Bobby Blue Bland was a famous American blues singer, who developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was described as someone among the great storytellers of blues and soul music.
Bobby Blue created tempestuous arias of love, betrayal, and resignation, set against roiling, dramatic orchestrations, and left the listener drained but awed. He was sometimes referred to as the “Lion of the Blues” and as the “Sinatra of the Blues”. His music was also influenced by Nat King Cole.
What is Bobby Blue Bland real name?
Bobby Blue’s real name was Robert Calvin Brooks. He was born in a small town of Barretville, Tennessee, on January 27, 1930. His father’s name was I. J. Brooks. According to the history, his father abandoned the family not long after he was born. Robert acquired the last name “Bland” from his stepfather Leroy Bland.
Bobby Blue dis not have much education as he dropped out of school in just the third grade to work in the cotton fields. Due to that, he never graduated from school.
However, before his death on January 23, 2023, Bobby was a world known figure. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012. He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.
Source: Ghanafuo.com