Only a select few performers can sing the blues with as much soulful conviction as Bobby "Blue" Bland. A veteran of the Memphis blues scene, Bland made his mark in the late '50s and early '60s with a consistent run of R&B hits before succumbing to depression and alcoholism in the late '60s, spurred by an equally consistent string of financial woes. After pulling himself into sobriety, Bland found himself in demand again during the post-disco fallout of the early '80s. It was a quiet career revival that brought the Beale Street giant back to the forefront of the R&B scene while securing his legacy as one of the most influential blues vocalists of the past half-century. Though Bland's silky rasp has been compromised by both the passage of time and a tonsillectomy that made an audible cut in his range a few years ago, the 73 year-old, Tennessee-born singer is still going strong thanks to a new album, Blues at Midnight, released this past March.
