Died On This Date (June 23, 2013) Bobby Blue Bland / Blues Great
themusicsover 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.
What You Should Own
Kevin McDade was the bassist and lead singer of the up-and-coming Los Angeles stoner metal band, Behold! The Monolith. With a sound influenced by such acts as Celtic Frost, Motorhead and Black Sabbath, Behold! The Monolith were no strangers to positive press from the likes of Decibel, Terrorizer, blabbermouth.net and Metal Hammer. They self-released their debut EP in 2008 and their self-titled full-length album in 2009 Defender, Redeemist in 2012. McDade had been part of the trio since 2007. Kevin McDade was killed in a car accident on June 22, 2013.
Lil Snupe was an 18 year old up-and-coming rapper who had recently signed with Meek Mill‘s label, Dream Chaser Records. Born and raised in Louisiana, Lil Snupe started making a name for himself throughout the underground hip hop scene. He was best known for his freestyle rap skills. After listening to a 20-minute mixtape of the young rapper, Mill almost immediately called him to discuss joining his label. According to local police, Lil Snupe was shot and killed at a Winnfield, Louisiana apartment complex at around 4:00 a.m. local time on June 20, 2013. No further details were immediately released.
Chet Flippo was a respected author and music journalist who, over the course of his career was the Editorial Director at CMT and Billboard‘s Nashville Bureau Chief. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Flippo served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War before earning a degree in Journalism from University of Texas. Although his name is practically synonymous with country music for many fans, he was also wrote about rock music as well. As a contributor to Rolling Stone while he was earning his Master’s during the ’70s, Flippo championed many of the rock musicians of the era. Before leaving the magazine in 1980, he served as the its New York Bureau Chief and Senior Editor. He also contributed features to numerous periodicals like the New York Times, Q Magazine, and TV Guide. From there he went to Billboard and later CMT/cmt.com Throughout his career, Flippo penned several books on music as well. They include Your Cheatin’ Heart: A Biography of 
Slim Whitman was an American country singer, songwriter and guitarist who is perhaps best remembered for his high voice and yodeling skills. Highly influential, even 