Editing Bobby Bland (section)

==Life and career==
===Early life===
Bland was born Robert Calvin Brooks in the small town of [[Barretville, Tennessee]].<ref name=Livinblues/><ref>Tennessee Historical Commission, historic marker dedicated 1/24/2015, Barretville, Tennessee.</ref><ref name="NYTobit">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/arts/music/bobby-blue-bland-soul-and-blues-balladeer-dies-at-83.html|title=Bobby (Blue) Bland, Soul and Blues Balladeer, Dies at 83|last=Friskics-Warren|first=Bill|date=June 24, 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> His father, I. J. Brooks, abandoned the family not long after Robert's birth. Robert later acquired the name "Bland" from his stepfather, Leroy Bridgeforth, who was also called Leroy Bland.<ref name=NYTobit/> Robert dropped out of school in third grade to work in the cotton fields and never graduated from school.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/24/living/bobby-blue-bland-dies-rhythm-and-blues-singer-was-83/|title=Bobby 'Blue' Bland dies: Rhythm-and-blues singer was 83|work=[[Bangor Daily News]]|date=June 24, 2013|access-date=February 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

With his mother, Bland moved to [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] in 1947, where he started singing with local [[Gospel music|gospel]] groups, including the Miniatures. Eager to expand his interests, he began frequenting the city's famous [[Beale Street]], where he became associated with a circle of aspiring musicians, including [[B.B. King]], [[Rosco Gordon]], [[Junior Parker]] and [[Johnny Ace]], who collectively were known as [[the Beale Streeters]].<ref name=Livinblues /><ref name=guardian>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jun/24/bobby-blue-bland |title=Bobby 'Blue' Bland Obituary |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=June 24, 2013 |first=Tony |last=Russell}} Retrieved June 26, 2013.</ref><ref name=bobbybluebland>{{cite web|url=http://www.bobbybluebland.com|title=Biography at BobbyBlueBland.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021143352/http://www.bobbybluebland.com/|archive-date=October 21, 2016|accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref>

===Early career===
In 1951, talent scout [[Ike Turner]] recorded Bland for [[Modern Records]] at [[Tuff Green]]'s house in Memphis.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last1=Turner|first1=Ike|url=http://archive.org/details/takinbackmynamec00turn|title=Takin' Back My Name: the Confessions of Ike Turner|last2=Cawthorne|first2=Nigel|publisher=[[Virgin Books|Virgin]]|location=New York City|others=The Archive of Contemporary Music|year=1999|pages=51|isbn=9781852278502 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Golden Age of American Rock 'n Roll: 1952-1956|last=Cotten|first=Lee|publisher=Popular Culture Inc|year=1995|isbn=9781560750390}}</ref> Because Bland was [[illiterate]], they first recorded the one song he knew, "[[They Call It Stormy Monday]]."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Selvin|first=Joe|date=September 14, 1997|title=POP QUIZ -- Q & A With Ike Turner|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|url=https://www.sfgate.com/music/popquiz/article/POP-QUIZ-Q-A-With-Ike-Turner-2807610.php|access-date=May 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> While the recording was never released, Bland later recorded the song in 1961, which became one of his hit singles.<ref name="Farley"/> Turner backed Bland on piano for his first two records, which were released under the name Robert Bland.<ref name="Farley">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TTtp27sjB7YC&q=bobby+bland+ike+turner+modern&pg=PA38|title=Soul of the Man: Bobby "Blue" Bland|last=Farley|first=Charles|publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|year=2011|isbn=9781604739206|location=Jackson, Mississippi|pages=38, 111–115|oclc=708067743}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/bobby-blue-bland-dies-rhythm-and-blues-singer-was-83/2013/06/24/4c0f13f6-8f45-11e2-bdea-e32ad90da239_story.html|title=Bobby 'Blue' Bland dies: Rhythm-and-blues singer was 83|last=McArdle|first=Terence|date=June 25, 2013|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Between 1951 and 1952, Bland recorded commercially unsuccessful singles for Modern and [[Sun Records]] (which licensed its recordings to [[Chess Records]]).<ref name=":1" /> However, these records caught the attention of [[Duke Records]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10139852/Bobby-Bland.html |title=Bobby Bland|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=June 24, 2013|accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref> Bland's recordings from the early 1950s show him striving for individuality, but his progress was halted for two years while he served in the [[U.S. Army]], during which time he performed in a band with the singer [[Eddie Fisher]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bobby Blue Bland: November 1973 Interview|website=SoulMusic.com|url=http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=1&T=38&ART=2919|access-date=2013-06-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702061615/http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=1&T=38&ART=2919|archive-date=2013-07-02}}</ref>

When Bland returned to Memphis in 1954, several of his former associates, including Johnny Ace, were enjoying considerable success. He joined Ace's revue and returned to Duke Records, which was then being run by the [[Houston]] entrepreneur [[Don Robey]]. According to his biographer Charles Farley, "Robey handed Bobby a new contract, which Bobby could not read, and helped Bobby sign his name on it". The contract gave Bland just half a cent per record sold, instead of the industry standard of 2 cents.<ref name=telegraph/>

Bland released his first single for Duke in 1955.<ref name=bobbybluebland/> In 1956 he began touring on the [[Chitlin' Circuit]] with Junior Parker in a revue called Blues Consolidated, initially doubling as Parker's valet and driver.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bobby Blue Bland|publisher=Pbase.com Soulful Impressions|url=http://www.pbase.com/soulfulimpressions/bobby_bland|access-date=2007-08-09}}</ref> He began recording for Duke with the bandleader Bill Harvey and the arranger Joe Scott, asserting his characteristic vocal style and, with Harvey and Scott, beginning to craft the melodic big-band blues singles for which he became famous, often accompanied by the guitarist [[Wayne Bennett (blues guitarist)|Wayne Bennett]].<ref name=telegraph/> Unlike many blues musicians, Bland played no instrument.<ref name="bbc obit"/>

===Commercial success===
[[File:Bobby Bland AABF 1970 JT.png|alt=Bobby "Blue" Bland singing at the 1970 Ann Arbor Blues Festival|thumb|Bobby "Blue" Bland at the 1970 Ann Arbor Blues Festival]]
Bland's first chart success came in 1957 with "[[Farther Up the Road]]", which reached number 1 on the [[R&B chart]] and number 43 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. It was followed by a series of hits on the R&B chart, including "Little Boy Blue" (1958).<ref name="whitburnr&b"/> He also recorded an album with Parker, ''Blues Consolidated'', in 1958.<ref name=guardian/> Bland's craft was most clearly heard on a series of early-1960s releases, including "Cry Cry Cry", "[[I Pity the Fool]]" (number 1 on the R&B chart in 1961) and "[[Turn On Your Love Light]]", which became a much-covered standard. Despite credits to the contrary—often claimed by Robey—many of these classic works were written by Joe Scott.<ref name=Livinblues /> Bland also recorded a hit version of [[T-Bone Walker]]'s "[[Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)]]", which was erroneously given the title of a different song, "[[Stormy Monday Blues]]".<ref name=guardian/>

His last record to reach number 1 on the R&B chart was "[[That's the Way Love Is (Bobby Bland song)|That's the Way Love Is]]", in 1963,<ref name="whitburnr&b"/> but he continued to produce a consistent run of R&B chart entries through the mid-1960s. He barely broke into the mainstream market; his highest-charting song on the pop chart, "Ain't Nothing You Can Do", peaked at number 20 in 1964, in the same week in which the [[The Beatles|Beatles]] held down the top five spots. Bland's records mostly sold on the R&B market rather than achieving [[Crossover (music)|crossover]] success. He had 23 top ten hits on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' R&B chart. In the book ''Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995'', by [[Joel Whitburn]], Bland was ranked number 13 of the all-time top-charting artists.<ref name="whitburnr&b"/>

===Later career===
[[File:Bobby Bland 1974.jpg|thumb|220px|Bland, 1974]]
Financial pressures forced the singer to cut his touring band and in 1968 the group broke up.<ref name="LarkinSM">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1993|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-733-9|pages=21/2}}</ref> He suffered from [[Depression (mood)|depression]] and became increasingly dependent on alcohol,<ref name=Livinblues/> but he stopped drinking in 1971.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Elder|first=Sean|url=https://www.salon.com/2000/03/14/bland/|title=Bobby "Blue" Bland|magazine=Salon|date=March 14, 2000}}</ref><ref name="LarkinSM"/> His record company, Duke Records, was sold to the larger [[ABC Records]] group.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> This resulted in several successful and critically acclaimed contemporary blues and soul albums including ''His California Album'' and ''Dreamer'',<ref name="LarkinSM"/> arranged by [[Michael Omartian]] and produced by ABC staffer [[Steve Barri]]. The albums, including the later "follow-up" in 1977, ''Reflections in Blue'', were recorded in Los Angeles and featured many of the city's top session musicians at the time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Farley |first=Charles |title=Soul of the Man: Bobby "Blue" Bland |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-60473-920-6 |location=Jackson, Mississippi |pages=183–200 |language=English}}</ref>

The first single released from ''His California Album'', "This Time I'm Gone for Good" took Bland back into the pop Top 50 for the first time since 1964 and made the R&B top 10 in late 1973. The opening track from ''Dreamer'', "[[Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City]]", was a strong R&B hit. A version of it was released in 1978 by the hard-rock band [[Whitesnake]], featuring the singer [[David Coverdale]]. Much later, [[Kanye West]] sampled it on [[Jay-Z]]'s hip-hop album ''[[The Blueprint]]'' (2001). The song is also featured on the soundtrack of the crime drama ''[[The Lincoln Lawyer (film)|The Lincoln Lawyer]]'' (2011), starring [[Matthew McConaughey]].<ref name="blogs.indiewire.com">{{cite web | title=''The Lincoln Lawyer'' (soundtrack) | publisher=blogs.indiewire.com | url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/the_lincoln_lawyer_soundtrack_features_erik_b._rakim_gang_starr_deadmau5_mo/ | access-date=2011-03-24 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110407093920/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/the_lincoln_lawyer_soundtrack_features_erik_b._rakim_gang_starr_deadmau5_mo | archive-date=2011-04-07 }}</ref> The follow-up, "I Wouldn't Treat a Dog", was his biggest R&B hit for some years, climbing to number 3 in late 1974, but it reached only number 88 on the pop charts. Subsequent attempts at adding a [[disco]] flavor were mostly unsuccessful.<ref name="LarkinSM"/> A return to his roots in 1980 for a [[tribute album]] to his mentor Joe Scott, produced by music veterans Monk Higgins and [[Al Bell]], resulted in the album ''Sweet Vibrations'', but it failed to sell well outside of his traditional "[[chitlin circuit]]" base.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bland |first=Bobby |title=Radio Swiss Jazz - Music database - Musician |url=http://www.radioswissjazz.ch/en/music-database/musician/1209350500fc1f6a99374bcb8b00406165713/biography |access-date=2023-11-08 |website=www.radioswissjazz.ch |language=en}}</ref>

In 1985, Bland signed a contract with [[Malaco Records]],<ref name="LarkinSM"/> specialists in traditional Southern Black music, for which he made a series of albums while continuing to tour and appear at concerts with [[B. B. King]]. In the late '70s and throughout the '80s, most blues artists were performing for white audiences; however, Bland wanted to continue performing for African American audiences and felt that signing with Malaco Records would help him to do that.<ref name="Russell"/> The two had collaborated on two albums in the 1970s. Despite occasional age-related ill health, Bland continued to record new albums for Malaco and perform occasional tours alone, with the guitarist and producer [[Angelo Earl]] and also with B.&nbsp;B. King, and performed at blues and soul festivals worldwide. In 1985, Bland's album ''Members Only'' on Malaco reached number 45 on Billboard's R&B albums chart, and the title song reached number 54 for R&B singles. It was his last chart single, and became Bland's signature song for the rest of his career. Bland was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1992. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame described him as "second in stature only to B.&nbsp;B. King as a product of Memphis's Beale Street blues scene".<ref name="bbc obit"/>

===Collaborations and tributes===
The Irish singer-songwriter [[Van Morrison]] was an early adherent of Bland, covering "Turn On Your Love Light" while with the band [[Them (band)|Them]] (he later covered "Ain't Nothing You Can't Do" on his 1974 live album ''[[It's Too Late to Stop Now]]''), and Bland was an occasional guest singer at Morrison's concerts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bland |first=Bobby |title=Radio Swiss Jazz - Music database - Musician |url=http://www.radioswissjazz.ch/en/music-database/musician/1209350500fc1f6a99374bcb8b00406165713/biography |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=www.radioswissjazz.ch |language=en}}</ref> He also included a previously unreleased version of a March 2000 duet of Morrison and Bland singing "[[Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison song)|Tupelo Honey]]" on his 2007 compilation album, ''[[The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 17, 2012 |title=Jazz news: Bobby Blue Bland performs in Washington DC at new venue The Hamilton. Linwood Taylor, Sol Roots |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/bobby-blue-bland-performs-in-washington-dc-at-new-venue-the-hamilton-linwood-taylor-sol-roots/ |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=All About Jazz |language=en}}</ref>

In 2008 the British singer and lead vocalist of [[Simply Red]], [[Mick Hucknall]], released the album ''[[Tribute to Bobby]]'', containing songs associated with Bland. The album reached 18 in the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/5h54 | title=Mick Hucknall Tribute To Bobby Review | website=[[BBC]] | access-date=2013-06-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/28920/simply-red/| title=UK Official Charts&nbsp;– Simply Red | website=www.officialcharts.com | access-date=2013-06-24}}</ref>