by Ray McDonald

Robert Calvin “Bobby” Bland died on June 23 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 83. The Associated Press quoted his son as saying he died due to an ongoing illness.

He was known as Bobby “Blue” Bland — or, the Sinatra Of The Blues. Born in rural Tennessee, he moved to Memphis, and like so many other hopefuls gravitated to the Beale Street music scene. Bland was a longtime friend and associate of fellow Beale Streeter B.B. King — Bland even served as the guitarist’s valet and chauffeur at one point. In this 1977 clip, you can see the affection between the two blues masters as they tear into “The Thrill Is Gone.”

I was a latecomer to Bobby “Blue” Bland, but once I heard his voice, I was a goner. A friend of mine owns a compilation of his greatest hits from the 1950s and ’60s, and they’re just magical records. Recorded with a large orchestra, they push his vocals to the front. The sonic sheen only magnifies the pain in his lyrics. I can imagine these songs pouring out of smoky clubs and bars late at night, in a time when audiences were segregated and Bobby’s music was a treasure waiting to be discovered by young white ears.  Eric Clapton and David Bowie were among the new generation of musicians to record his songs, and in 1978, none other than Whitesnake recorded his hit “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City.” In 2008, Mick Hucknall of Simply Red recorded the album “Tribute To Bobby,” which reached 18th place on the UK chart.

Bobby himself recorded into the 21st Century, by which time he’d ascended to the musical pantheon. He entered the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.

Let me take you back to 1962 for this snapshot of Bobby “Blue” Bland in his prime. Dim the lights and appreciate the voice we all have lost on this Stormy Monday.

I

By Ray McDonald

Kanye Omari West: who is he? Is he the challenging, creative rapper responsible for some of the best hip-hop releases of the past decade? Or is he a self-important irritant who, among other incidents, highjacked Taylor Swift’s big moment at the 2009 MTV Awards show and more recently lashed out at photographers after walking into a pole?

We’re all, every one of us, a mixture of good and bad. On Tuesday, June 18, Kanye West releases his sixth solo album “Yeezus,” and he’s been promoting it by projecting videos from the album on public sites worldwide.

Kanye engages me emotionally, more so than just about any other modern pop music artist. On the one hand, I can’t stand his enormous ego – on the other, who else would find such an audacious way to publicize his work? Kanye’s shown a keen interest in art and fashion, working with such industry leaders as Louis Vuitton and Italian shoemaker Giuseppe Zanotti. There’s a restless intellect at work here, and it keeps me scouring the media for new reports of his creativity – and public missteps.

His father, Ray West, was a photojournalist, while his mother Donda was chair of the English Department at Chicago State University. He and his mother spent some time living in China, and by all reports he suffered greatly when she died suddenly in 2007 after complications from cosmetic surgery.

Although “Yeezus” leaked late last week, I haven’t heard the entire album; in a typical twist of unpredictability, he brought in one of my favorite producers, Rick Rubin, just days before its release. It’s practically guaranteed to open at number one on the United States pop album chart.

On June 15, Kanye West had his first child, a daughter, with his girlfriend, reality-TV star Kim Kardashian. So he has little hope of escaping the rigors of celebrity in the era of the 24-hour pseudo-news cycle. Just do me one favor, Kanye – keep your head up when you walk. You never know what you might run into.

What’s your opinion of Kanye West and his testy relationship with fame?