Bobby 'Blue' Bland | Blues, soul singer, 83

Bobby "Blue" Bland, 83 - a distinguished singer who blended Southern blues and soul in such songs as "Turn on Your Love Light" and "Further On Up the Road" - died Sunday of complications from an ongoing illness, at his Memphis, Tenn., home, surrounded by relatives, said his son Rodd Bland.

Mr. Bland was known as the "the Sinatra of the blues" and was heavily influenced by Nat King Cole, often recording with lavish arrangements to accompany his smooth vocals. He even openly imitated Frank Sinatra on the Two Steps From the Blues album cover, standing in front of a building with a coat thrown over his shoulder.

"He brought a certain level of class to the blues genre," said Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, son of legendary musician and producer Willie Mitchell.

Mr. Bland was a contemporary of B.B. King's, serving as the blues great's valet and chauffer at one point, and was one of the last of the living connections to the roots of the genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and was an influence on scores of young rock-and-rollers, including David Bowie and Eric Clapton. - AP