BOBBY BLUE BLAND

Fame, notoriously fickle toward blues singers, has been hovering close to Bobby Bland for almost two decades; always close but never quite touching him. His rich blend of gospel and blues has won him a steady, devoted (though not overly large) following, particularly in Chicago and Houston, his two adopted homes. Although his records are consistent sellers, he’s never had the big hit, the spectacular success. That’s like the man himself: consistent, steady, even and dependable. His warm baritone, tailored band arrangements and his involvement with his audiences have earned him the sobriquet “king of the gospel blues.”

Bland was born January 27,*1930, in Rosemark, Tenn. His family moved to Memphis, where he grew up absorbing that city’s gospel and blues influences. He worked as driver and valet for B.B. King and later drove for Roscoe Gordon, the great Memphis blues singer. Bland began singing professionally in 1949 with Adolph Duncan’s band. His career was interrupted when he was drafted into the Army in 1952 after recording “Drifting From Town to Town” for the Modern label.