Former Blues Foundation president and CEO Jay Sieleman addresses the crowd at the Bobby "Blue" Bland statue dedication ceremony.
"It was a dream for a few of us years ago," says Kevin Kane, president and CEO of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The idea was: Let’s really start paying homage to the people who made a difference in this part of the world — who took what this part of the world is famous for and exported it around the globe."
Legendary blues singer Bobby "Blue" Bland — known for his soulful crooning on tracks such as "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" and "Further Up the Road" — did just that.
Bobby got his start on Beale Street. Bobby's son Rodd Bland recalled this in the March 2017 issue of Memphis magazine: “Rufus Thomas used to host amateur night down there at the old Daisy, as it’s called, and the grand prize was five bucks,” he says. “Blue was out there winning that as often as he could. I think he held a record for most consecutive wins before Rufus had to shut him down.”
Bobby "Blue" Bland's wife Willie Mae, son Rodd, and family members pose with the newly installed statue of the late bluesman.
Bobby went on to become one of the most notable blues singers in the genre's history, touring nationally and internationally for much of his life. Though for "Blue," Memphis was always home, and his impact has been permanently engraved into the fabric of Memphis.
The effort to erect a life-sized statue of "Blue" was led by former Blues Foundation president and CEO Jay Sieleman with the help of Paul Benjamin and Roger Naber. Together they rallied generous donors who contributed the nearly $50,000 needed to create and install the art — created by sculptor Andrea Lugar — at the corner of South Main and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
"[Memphis has annually] over 11 and a half million visitors from literally all over the world," says the CVB's Kevin Kane. "Most of those people come here because of what Bobby, Milton, B.B., Elvis, and others did to put Memphis on the map. This is a testament to what Bobby meant to this community."
