Bobby Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. Bland was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012. He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame described him as "second in stature only to B.B. King as a product of Memphis's Beale Street blues scene".
He was sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues" and as the "Sinatra of the Blues". His music was also influenced by Nat King Cole.
Bland was born Robert Calvin Brooks in the small town of Barretville, Tennessee. 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. Robert dropped out of school in third grade to work in the cotton fields and never graduated from school.
With his mother, Bland moved to Memphis in 1947, where he started singing with local gospel groups, including the Miniatures. Eager to expand his interests, he began frequenting the city's famous Beale Street, where he became associated with an ad hoc circle of aspiring musicians including B.B. King, Rosco Gordon, Junior Parker and Johnny Ace, who collectively called themselves the Beale Streeters.
Between 1950 and 1952, Bland recorded commercially unsuccessful singles for Modern Records and, at Ike Turner's suggestion, for Sun Records (which licensed its recordings to Chess Records). He then signed a contract with Duke Records. 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.
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.
Bland released his first single for Duke in 1955. 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. 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. Unlike many blues musicians, Bland played no instrument.
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. It was followed by a series of hits on the R&B chart, including "Little Boy Blue" (1958). He also recorded an album with Parker, Blues Consolidated, in 1958. 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 by the Grateful Dead and other bands. Despite credits to the contrary—often claimed by Robey—many of these classic works were written by Joe Scott. 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".
His last record to reach number 1 on the R&B chart was "That's the Way Love Is", in 1963, 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 Beatles held down the top five spots. Bland's records mostly sold on the R&B market rather than achieving crossover success. He had 23 Top Ten hits on the 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.
Financial pressures forced the singer to cut his touring band and in 1968 the group broke up. He suffered from depression and became increasingly dependent on alcohol, but he stopped drinking in 1971. His record company, Duke Records, was sold to the larger ABC Records group. This resulted in several successful and critically acclaimed contemporary blues and soul albums including His California Album and Dreamer, 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.
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 it was sampled by Kanye West 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 (2011), starring Matthew McConaughey. 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 as usual his strength was never the pop chart (on which it reached number 88). Subsequent attempts at adding a disco flavor were mostly unsuccessful. 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.
In 1985, Bland signed a contract with Malaco Records, 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. 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. B. King, and performed at blues and soul festivals worldwide. In 1985, the 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. B. King as a product of Memphis's Beale Street blues scene".
The Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison was an early adherent of Bland, covering "Turn On Your Love Light" while with the 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. He also included a previously unreleased version of a March 2000 duet of Morrison and Bland singing "Tupelo Honey" on his 2007 compilation album, The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3.
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.
Bland continued performing until shortly before his death.
He died on June 23, 2013, at his home in Germantown, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis, after what family members described as "an ongoing illness". He was 83.
He was described as "among the great storytellers of blues and soul music... who created tempestuous arias of love, betrayal and resignation, set against roiling, dramatic orchestrations, and left the listener drained but awed."
After his death, his son Rodd told news media that Bland had recently told him that the blues musician James Cotton was Bland's half-brother.
I'm Not Ashamed
Bobby "Blue" Bland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not angry 'cause I caught you lying
Whoa, baby, no matter what you do
I'm gonna keep on loving you
And I'm not ashamed, oh no, I'm not ashamed
I'm not ashamed 'cause I fell on my knees
And begged you, baby, to take me back, please
But I'm not ashamed, oh no, I'm not ashamed
Although you lie, scandalize my name
But I still love you just the shame
I'm not ashamed 'cause you saw me crying
I'm not angry 'cause I caught you lying
Whoa, oh baby, no matter what you do
I'm gonna keep on loving you
And I'm not ashamed, oh no, I'm not ashamed
I'm not ashamed 'cause you saw me crying
I'm not angry 'cause I caught you lying
Whoa, and though baby, no matter what you do
I'm gonna keep on loving you
And I'm not ashamed, oh, I'm not ashamed
The lyrics to Bobby "Blue" Bland's song "I'm Not Ashamed" express an unapologetic devotion to a lover, despite their faults and mistakes. The singer admits to crying and feeling helpless when his lover left him, but he has no shame in displaying his vulnerability. He also acknowledges that his lover has lied and even scandalized his name, but he still loves them unconditionally. This song is a reminder that love is not always easy, but true love endures through the good and the bad.
In essence, the song is about unconditional love and the challenges that come with it. The singer is willing to put up with his lover's flaws, even though others might see him as foolish. The repetition of the lyrics "I'm not ashamed" reinforces the idea that the singer is proud of his love and refuses to be ashamed of it. Despite his lover's mistakes, he is committed to loving them no matter what.
One interesting fact about this song is that Bobby "Blue" Bland actually co-wrote it with legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach. This is a departure from Bland's usual practice of covering songs written by others. "I'm Not Ashamed" was released in 1964 and became a top 40 hit on the R&B charts. The song has been covered by a variety of artists over the years, including Elvis Presley, The Spinners, and The Bee Gees.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not ashamed 'cause you saw me crying
I am not embarrassed that you saw me crying because of the pain and hurt you caused me.
I'm not angry 'cause I caught you lying
Even though I caught you lying to me, I am not angry because I love you unconditionally.
Whoa, baby, no matter what you do
I'm gonna keep on loving you
No matter what you do or how badly you treat me, I will still love you deeply.
I'm not ashamed 'cause I fell on my knees
And begged you, baby, to take me back, please
I am not ashamed even though I lowered myself and begged you to take me back. I am willing to do anything for your love.
Whoa, baby, some people call me the biggest fool in town
But I'm not ashamed, oh no, I'm not ashamed
Although some people may consider me foolish for staying with you, I am not ashamed or embarrassed by my love for you.
Although you lie, scandalize my name
But I still love you just the same
Even though you lie and spread rumors about me, I still love you unconditionally and with all my heart.
Whoa, oh baby, no matter what you do
I'm gonna keep on loving you
I will never stop loving you regardless of how badly you treat me or what you do to me. My love for you is unwavering and unconditional.
And I'm not ashamed, oh, I'm not ashamed
I am not ashamed of my love for you. Despite everything, I am not ashamed to admit my feelings.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON ROBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sebastianfigueroa1365
I think this is the lyrics. Not sure bit sounds pretty close. Love this song
Young people say
That they dont like the blues
But you and I both know
That thats not really true
Let me tell you all that say
That you dont understand
I guarantee you will someday
You Might as well make yo plans
You wont be ashamed to sing the blues
And im not ashamed oh lord to sing the blues yeah oh no
Young people say
That the blues is really dumb
But they just dont know
Exactly where there coming from
But you just wait
Until yo heart is all tangled up inside
You'll be singing the blues
With tears all in yo eyes
Dont be ashamed oh lord
Dont be ashamed to sing the blues
And I'm not ashamed oh lord I'm not ashamed to sing the blues
No I'm not oh no
/////////Saxophone solo/////////
Listen, Now you've heard my story
And I hope you understand
The blues is gonna getchu
You Plain on a losing hand
You'll just keep on living and loving
Failing and achieving
Laughing and crying
Leaving and grieving
Oh lord I wont be ashamed No I wont be ashamed to sing the blues And I'm not ashamed oh no I'm not ashamed to sing the blues
No I'm not I'm not ashamed to sing the blues yeah. Oh no
@papaldanondo
Algunas personas dicen que
la canción que canto no es el blues
Tal vez lo que dicen ...
lo que dicen, puede ser verdad.
Oh ... déjame decirte
Esta es la forma en que realmente me siento
Y todo lo que hago
No es falso, es auténticamente real.
Y no me avergüenzo de cantar el blues
Oh-o0oh-oh ... no
No me avergüenzo de cantar blues.
Alguna gente dice ...
que los azules son realmente tontos
Ellos simplemente no saben ...
ellos no saben, de donde vengo
Y solo quiero decirte que ...
es como me siento por dentro
El amor y felicidad,
Los fracasos y logros ...
pondrán lágrimas en tus ojos.
Y no me avergüenzo de cantar el blues
Oh-oooh-oh ...
No me avergüenzo de cantar blues.
Solo Guitarra.
Y no me avergüenzo de cantar el blues
Oh-ooh-oh ...
No me avergüenzo de cantar blues.
Alguna gente dice ...
Que mi canción es demasiado triste.
No lo creo
Cuando pienso en la diversión que tuve
Viviendo y amando
odiando y haciendo trampa
La risa y el llanto
Ooh ... incluso en la codicia.
Y no me avergüenzo de cantar el blues
Voy a decirlo de nuevo ...
No estoy avergonzado.
No no no …. no ... no yo ...
@vegasislonely
I'm 31 yrs old, and was raised on the blues. Bobby Blue Bland is my favorite blues singer hands down. This song pretty much sums it up. Thank u so much for posting real music.
@MsJrzy
Legend! Thank you for gracing us all these many years and leaving such a beautiful legacy of the REAL ish! RIP Mr. Blues 😘
@randyguidry5974
rip the KING of the blues!!! keep saying good morning!! and i promise u wont be ashamed either!!!
@terriwronker5444
Oh ny yes. Love these blues. RIP Bobby.
@phyllisverges6974
All i can do is throw my hands up in the air on this song specially when Bobby say that first line "young ppl say they dont really like the blues but you and I both know thats not really true!!! even as a teenager he caught my attention with this abulm cuz my mama played the numbers off this cd!!!!! Bobby is the TRUTH!!!!
@39329maine
I'm not ashamed to listen to the blues and i'm a hardcore thug, I love all the old blues men. R.I.P to all who are gone.
@alwayssupafly
RIP Mr. Bobby Blue Bland!!! Thanks for the precious memories!!!
@lokithegeniusakamaniac1019
I'm 17 years old and still come back to enjoy this and it was way before me
@kiarahampton1532
Tre Laws me, too! I was raised listening to this
@smw372002able
The king of the blues.Mr.Bobby Blue Bland.