Bobby Parker was an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who counted no less than Led Zeppelin and the Beatles as his disciples. His biggest hit, 1961’s “Watch Your Step,” was covered by Santana, Manfred Mann and the Spencer Davis Group, while its primary lick was borrowed by the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Deep Purple and countless more.John Lennon called “Watch Your Step” one of his favorite records of all time. Born in Louisiana but raised in Los Angeles, California, Parker picked up the guitar at a young age. During his early professional years, he played for the likes of Bo Diddley, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and the Everly Brothers. He later toured with Check Berry and Little Richard among others. He settled in Washington, DC during the ’60s and continued to record and perform over the next four decades. Bobby Parker was 76 when he passed away on November 1, 2013. Cause of death was not immediately released.
It wasn’t until T-Model Ford was 58 when he learned how to play the guitar, but he certainly made up for lost time over the last 20 years of his life. Born in Mississippi, Ford waited until his 70s before he launched his music career. His style has been described as a blend of raw Delta, Chicago, and juke joint blues. Following a troubled life as an illiterate blue-collar worker who later served 2 years on a chain-gang for murder, Ford turned things around when he began putting his life experiences into his music. Unable to read music or tabs, he developed his own way of playing that even he couldn’t define. During the late 90s, Ford was discovered by the owners of Fat Possum Records who went on to release his first five albums to critical praise. He went to release 3 more albums and continued touring until 2012. T-Model Ford died of respiratory failure on July 16, 2013. He was likely 93 years old*.
*Ford claimed to have been born in 1920, but no one knows for sure.
Bobby “Blue” Bland January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013
Known as the “Lion of the Blues” as well as the “Frank Sinatra of the Blues,” Bobby “Blue” Bland was an influential singer who successfully blurred the lines between soul, Gospel, and R&B, and by doing so, found himself years later resting at #44 of Rolling Stone‘s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Born at the southeastern most tip of Tennessee, Bland eventually moved with his mother to Memphis where he began singing with local Gospel groups. He soon started hanging out in the storied Beale Street clubs where he joined up with a loose group of local aspiring singers and musicians sometimes referred to as the Beale Streeters who counted B.B. King and Johnny Ace as members. After an early ’50s stint in the U.S. Army, Bland returned to Memphis and began making records in 1954. The early ones received little notice, but in the late ’50s and early ’60s, his records like “Farther Up The Road,” “Little Boy Blue,” and “I Pity The Fool” started showing up on the R&B charts. By the late ’60s, he had no fewer than 23 Top Ten R&B hits and was later listed at #13 on a list of the best-selling R&B artists of all time. In all, Bland released nearly 30 albums, his most recent being 2003’s Blues At Midnight. Over the course of his career, Bland recorded or performed with B.B. King, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Van Morrison, Junior Parker, and many more. In 1981, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, and in 1992, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bobby “Blue” Bland was 83 when he passed away on June 23, 2013.
Bob Brozman was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist who is primarily known for playing the blues, jazz, ragtime, and the music of various islands. He began releasing albums in the early ’80s and collaborated with musicians all around the world. Brozman was so knowledgeable about and practiced in so many styles of music that he has been called “a walking archive of 20th century American music.” Throughout his career, he recorded with David Grisman, Lacy J. Dalton, and Vassar Clements to name just a few. The most recent of 20+ albums was 2012’s Fire In The Mind. Bob Brozman was 59 when he passed away on April 24, 2013. Cause of death was not immediately released.
themusicsover 
Bobby Parker was an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who counted no less than Led Zeppelin and the Beatles as his disciples. His biggest hit, 1961’s “Watch Your Step,” was covered by Santana, Manfred Mann and the Spencer Davis Group, while its primary lick was borrowed by the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Deep Purple and countless more. 
It wasn’t until T-Model Ford was 58 when he learned how to play the guitar, but he certainly made up for lost time over the last 20 years of his life. Born in Mississippi, Ford waited until his 70s before he launched his music career. His style has been described as a blend of raw Delta, Chicago, and juke joint blues. Following a troubled life as an illiterate blue-collar worker who later served 2 years on a chain-gang for murder, Ford turned things around when he began putting his life experiences into his music. Unable to read music or tabs, he developed his own way of playing that even he couldn’t define. During the late 90s, Ford was discovered by the owners of Fat Possum Records who went on to release his first five albums to critical praise. He went to release 3 more albums and continued touring until 2012. T-Model Ford died of respiratory failure on July 16, 2013. He was likely 93 years old*.
Known as the “Lion of the Blues” as well as the “
Bob Brozman was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist who is primarily known for playing the blues, jazz, ragtime, and the music of various islands. He began releasing albums in the early ’80s and collaborated with musicians all around the world. Brozman was so knowledgeable about and practiced in so many styles of music that he has been called “a walking archive of 20th century American music.” Throughout his career, he recorded with David Grisman, Lacy J. Dalton, and 