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Bobby Bland was an American blues and R&B singer, born on January 27, 1930, in Rosemark, Tennessee. He moved to Memphis in 1947 with his mother and began singing with local gospel groups, including The Miniatures. He became associated with a group of aspiring musicians known as the Beale Streeters while frequenting Beale Street. Between 1950 and 1952, he recorded singles for various labels before signing with Duke Records. In 1954, Bland returned to Memphis and joined the revue of Johnny Ace, experiencing a resurgence in his career. His first single for Duke was released in 1955, and he began touring the "chitlin' circuit" with Junior Parker. Bland's characteristic vocal style, often accompanied by guitarist, helped him craft the melodic big band blues singles for which he became famous. His first significant success came in 1957 with the R&B chart no. 1 hit "Farther Up The Road," which also reached no. 43 on the Billboard Hot 100. He followed this with several hits, including "Little Boy Blue" in 1958 and "I Pity The Fool," which topped the R&B chart in 1961. Despite not breaking into the mainstream, Bland had 23 Top Ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts and was ranked the 13th all-time R&B charting artist in a 1996 publication. Financial pressures led to the breakup of his touring

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