“Blues music hasn’t really received the respect that it has deserved over the years, but that hasn’t stopped us,” legendary singer Bobby “Blue” Bland said Sunday night in a dressing room in the Imperial Palace.
“You cannot hold the blues down because the blues is the truth.”
No one could tell the hundreds of people decked out to the nines and crammed into the North Side venue that there is no respect for the blues, or Bland in particular.
St. Louis remains a faithful fan base for the singer, probably because it’s only a drive down I-55 from his Tennessee roots.
As he prepared to take the stage, he talked about how his recognition from the mainstream industry, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was a long time coming, but he was happy when it did finally show up.
Among the clouds of cigarette smoke and candid conversation, a love for the blues was one thing everybody had in common as they came to hear his trademark voice as the headliner for the St. Louis Nights Magazine and H. Productions Hall of Fame Concert Series with special guest Billy “Soul” Bonds.
People of all ages and walks of life came to give props to a blues legend who is closer in age to 80 than he ever will again be to 70.
“It’s not a hard job to do,” he said of playing music.
“It’s something that I love doing and I still love doing it after 50 years – staying healthy is the hard part.”
While he required assistance to walk out to the stage for his show, when he sat down and opened his mouth he showed just how easily and efficiently he did his job. His performance skills could be attributed to a half-century of experience, but the rich, lingering tone of his voice indicated that he is indeed a natural.
At an age and tenure long past retirement, Bland showed his many fans that while his voice isn’t completely what it once was, he still has more talent in his pinky-ring finger than most of today’s singers have in their whole bodies.
And he says that he has some new material that he plans to start recording next month. It was clear that Bland is still working to stay relevant in music – for the sake of the blues.
“There aren’t really a lot of new people doing the blues, but you have to tell the story you feel,” he said.
He was feeling every number of his set, and so was the audience. A group of silver-haired ladies, who could have been (and probably were) anybody’s granny, were grinding their hips while simultaneously yelling out, “Sing, Bobby!” at the top of their lungs.
“I Pity the Fool,” “Stormy Monday Blues,” “If You’re Gonna Walk on My Heart” and a revamped rendition of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” kept the audience attentive and entertained despite the sound problems that plagued the show.
As his road manager walked him off the stage following the crowd-participation finale “Members Only,” it seemed as if he is staying in business just long enough for someone to stand on the foundation that he has laid.
While respectful, Bland is weary of the new school of music that dominates the industry.
“The stories are not as good, and they’ve got a whole new set of problems,” Bland said.
“The music has changed tremendously, and I can’t speak for all of these other forms, but I will say if you are going to sing the blues, you have to sing it from the heart.”
He added, “If I finally find a good singer, I would give him my blessing and tell him that he has to be hurt first before he can do the blues.”
