The Recording Academy Remembers Singer Bobby Bland

Blues Singer Bobby Bland has died, CNN is reporting. Bobby Bland is widely credited as helping to create the modern soul-blues sound. Bland's song 'Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City' was famously sampled by Jay-Z for a track off his 'The Blueprint' album. The Recording Academy's President and CEO Neil Portnow released a statement yesterday.

"Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Bobby "Blue" Bland was a prolific blues singer and balladeer," Portnow wrote. "His signature performance style seamlessly blended a mix of blues, country, gospel, jazz and pop music to create his unique sound. He was a stylistic pioneer who influenced countless musicians across many genres, with a career spanning nearly eight decades. Our music community has lost a tremendous and legendary talent, and we mourn this loss with his family, fans and all those who had the pleasure and privilege of working with him."

Bobby "Blue" Bland was an American singer of blues and soul. He was an original member of the Beale Streeters and was sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues". Along with such artists as Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, andJunior Parker, Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B.An imitator of Frank Sinatra, he was also known as the "Sinatra of the blues", his music being influenced by Nat King Cole.

Bland was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

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