In the 1990s at the old Astoria on the Charing Cross Road, now torn down at the behest of Crossrail, I remember being completely blown away by Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland who died yesterday at the age of 83 in Memphis. His raw searing sound rang out in that rackety old theatre a testament to his reputation as “the Sinatra of the blues”. ‘Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City’ his signature song never sounded so good. I don’t know all of his records by any means but Dreamer, released in the 1970s, does it for me every time. Southern blues and soul with a rock edge it wasn’t surprising that he attracted many collaborators and appreciators in recent years and his duo with Van Morrison on ‘Tupelo Honey’ for one isa thing of beauty. Inducted into the Rock and Roll and the Blues Halls of Fame in much later years when he was with the Beale Streeters in his early days he joined BB King and Johnny Ace in an extraordinary band of future stars, but real success would have to wait until the late-1950s and ‘Further On Up The Road. His Hits in the 60s included ‘Call on Me’ and ‘That’s The Way Love Is’. RIP.