La Salle recognized by state lawmakers

Jackson, MS (WLBT) - A Mississippi blues legend was honored in the Mississippi State Senate Wednesday morning.

Denise La Salle was born in Leflore County in the Mississippi Delta.

Senator David Jordan presented her with a proclamation from the state legislature.

In 1971, her album "Trapped By A Thing Called Love" went gold.

She later signed with Malaco Records and recorded for them here in Jackson.

Lasalle told lawmakers she is proud to be from the state and she still has "Mississippi mud" on her shoes.

As posted on WLBT in Jackson, MS

Bobby "Blue" Bland

The Web site Rollingstone.com says of Bobby Blue Bland:

“Bobby “Blue” Bland is one of the eminent patriarchs of modern soul singing, his distinctively grainy vocal style drawing on gospel and blues. Raised in Memphis, he joined a gospel ensemble, the Miniatures, in the late 1940s. He later met guitarist B.B. King and joined the Beale Streeters, an informal group of Memphis blues musicians that included King, Johnny Ace, Roscoe Gordon, and Willie Nix. But not until 1954 (after working as King’s chauffer) did he land his first recording contract, when an executive at Duke Records heard him sing at a Houston talent show.

“His first successful single, “It’s My Life, Baby,” was released in 1955. He played one-nighters around the country accompanied by his band, led by tenor saxophonist Bill Harvey and trumpeter/arranger Joe Scott. Members of the band, under the pseudonym Deadric Malone, wrote or co-wrote most of Bland’s material. His band was bigger and brassier than most current blues bands, and anticipated the rich sound of 1960s soul music while harking back to big-band jazz.

“Since 1957, when “Farther Up the Road” was a Number Five R&B hit, Bland has had over 30 R&B Top 20 singles, including “I’ll Take Care of You” (Number Two, 1959), “I Pity the Fool” (Number One, 1961), “Don’t Cry No More” (Number One, 1961), “Turn on Your Love Light” (Number Two, 1961), and “That’s the Way Love Is” (Number Three, 1963).

“Most of Bland’s records enjoyed only modest success in the pop market; only three singles ever made the pop Top 30. In the mid-1960s Bland adopted a slicker, more upbeat style, but his career stalled until Duke Records was taken over by ABC-Dunhill in 1972. Dunhill paired him with producer Steve Barri (the Four Tops), who guided Bland back to a bluesier vocal style while giving him contemporary material by Leon Russell and Gerry Goffin, as well as new material by Deadric Malone. His California Album and Dreamer introduced him to white audiences and proved to be the most popular LPs of his career. After a fallow early-1980s he resurfaced mid-decade on the independent soul-blues label Malaco, revitalizing his career.

“While he never achieved the wide recognition of B.B. King (with whom he toured and collaborated on two LPs, Together and Together Again), he had a considerable influence on modern soul music. In 1997 he was the recipient of the Recording Academy’s coveted Lifetime Achievement Grammy. In 1998 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Blues Foundation. In 2002 Bland had a late-career resurgence with the excellent Two Steps From the Blues featuring an amalgam of blues, gospel and southern soul produced, co-written and arranged by Joe Scott with help from Duke head Don Robey. He continues to record and tour internationally well into his late seventies.

As seen in The Cape Cod Times.

New Songs Added to SSR

Below are some new songs you'll be hearing on Southern Soul Radio:

Joe Simon
Drowning In The Sea Of Love
It Be's That Way Sometimes
Power Of Love
Trouble In My Home

Johnnie Taylor
Disco Lady
Running Out Of Lies

Candi Staton
Victim

Dells
Standing Ovation
Oh What A Night
Stay In My Corner

Tyrone Davis
Turning Point
I Got Carried Away

Formula V
Part Time Lover

Soul Children
Don't Take My Kindness
Love Makes It Right

Z. Z. Hill
You're Ruining My Bad Reputation
Personally

Ruby Wilson Suffers Stroke

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Jackson, Miss.

Noted Memphis soul singer Ruby Wilson suffered a mild stroke on New Year's Day and has been hospitalized in Jackson, Miss., her agent said Tuesday.

She was expected to return to Memphis today to begin rehabilitation, agent Rollin Riggs said.

She became ill after she performed on New Year's Eve at the Golden Moon casino in Philadelphia, Miss.

"The musicians who had traveled with her arranged to meet her to drive back to Memphis the morning of Jan. 1. When she didn't show up at the appointed rendezvous, they got concerned and went to her room," Riggs said.

The 60-year-old singer was taken to a local hospital, then transferred to Jackson.

Riggs indicated the stroke was mild and hoped Wilson would be performing again as early as February.

"She's in great spirits, feisty and looking forward to returning to the stage," he said.

-- Jody Callahan
Memphis Commercial Appeal

New Label Offers Unique Southern Soul Music

If you're looking for some cool and funky music from artists such as Eddie Floyd, Rufus Thomas, Eddie Cotton, Luther Ingram and many many more, head over to www.locobop.com. This is a real cool find on the internet that has some hard to find, some never before heard, some of everything from some really cool artists, many of which are heard on www.southernsoulradio.com.

You'll be glad you visited the site. They are doing some cool things and new releases are posted all the time so keep coming back.

Secret Song Of The Day

Beginning Monday, January 12, 2009, make sure to listen to www.southernsoulradio.com between 7:00am and 8:00am CST for the Secret Song Of The Day. When you hear Funky Larry announce the song, listen the rest of the day to hear it. Once you hear it, be the first to call at 769-218-0085 or E-Mail at request@southernsoulradio.com to win the Featured CD Of The Day!

Mark your calendars to tune in Monday!

The Blues Is Alright Tour Gearing Back Up

That's right! The 2009 edition of the wildly successful The Blues Is Alright Tour begins soon. Artists on the tour include Shirley Brown, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Willie Clayton, Marvin Sease, Floyd Taylor, Mel Waiters and many more. To find out when the tour is coming to your town, visit http://www.heritageentertainments.com

Enjoy the shows and thanks for keeping the blues alive! You can always find great music at www.malaco.com. Check out the site for new music and some of the great oldies.