Bobby "Blue" Bland

Bonus Rocks Off 100: Clint Broussard, Blues In Hi-Fi Man Now Back On FM

Welcome to the Rocks Off 100, our portrait gallery of the most compelling profiles and personalities in the far-flung Houston music community -- a lot more than just musicians, but of course they're in there too. Who? If you're a fan of Texas R&B radio, and you definitely should be, there is no gre ... More >>

The 5 Best Shows In Houston This Week: Victor Wooten, Merchandise, etc.

Victor Wooten San Jacinto College Central Victor Wooten is the kind of musician who leaves other musicians, especially bass players, in awe. One of his four older brothers taught Wooten the four-string arts at age three, and he's gone on to a distinguished career that includes stints with both jazz ... More >>

The Lion Of The Blues: Happy Birthday Bobby "Blue" Bland

Today marks the 82nd birthday of Hall of Fame blues man Robert Calvin Bland, better known as Bobby "Blue". In a case of being "in the right place at the right time", Mr. Bland was born in Rosemark, Tennessee in 1930, then moved to Memphis at eighteen to begin his career. He became an original member ... More >>

2011 HPMA Showcase: Lonesome, Onry and Mean Edition

Checkout the slideshows of the bands and the crowd at the Houston Press Music Awards Showcase. Photo by Jason WolterTexas Johnny Brown​I spent most of the my Houston Press Music Awards day circulating between five contiguous venues: Dirt Bar, Ben's Beans, Reserve 101, Pete's Dueling Piano Bar ... More >>

What A Houston Blues "Walk Of Fame" Could Look Like

Lightnin' Hopkins marker photo by Matthew Keever​It was a real pleasure for Rocks Off and Lonesome Onry and Mean to bring you this week's Houston Press cover story, "Old School," but it was also bittersweet. Not to put too fine a point on it, but none of these people are getting any younger - ... More >>

Five '60s Soul Stars Jay-Z & Kanye West Should Hit Next

thelocal478.comWelcome back to Billboard, Otis.​Say what you will about Watch the Throne - and people, including several members of Team Rocks Off, have said a lot - but it's all anyone in music seems to be talking about these days. Which makes sense; it's not every day that two megastars (the ... More >>

Steve Miller Band

Top 5 Mother-In-Law Songs Besides "Mother In Law"

neworleans.comFormer owner Betty Fox at New Orleans' Mother-In-Law Lounge​Q: What is the ideal weight for a mother-in-law? A: About 2.3 pounds, including the urn. Rocks Off has more or less been content with bachelorhood our entire life, so we have no idea what having a mother-in-law is lik ... More >>

H-Town Blues Festival

The Hideaway's Boilermaker

Stirred & Shaken: The Hideaway's Boilermaker

Troy Fields​I drove out to the Hideaway on Dunvale (3122 Dunvale, 713-977-3515) with a couple friends for Tuesday steak night and to see a blues guitarist named Rick Lee. When we opened the side door of the barn-style building, he and his band, the Night Owls, were getting started on the Meter ... More >>

Open Tab: Things Are Changing, Holmes

Pull up a chair, start a tab and order a round of shots, because this is Rocks Off's weekly roundup of the goings-on in the Houston bar scene. Ups and downs, openings and closings, we will cover it all. Hit us up with any hot tips at craig.hlavaty@houstonpress.com. Craig Hlavaty​During our t ... More >>

Dialtone Records Showcase

Andy Bradley and Roger Wood: House of Hits

A SugarHill Studios sound engineer and an author reveal a history of sweet sounds

Leon's Lounge Needs Some Soul. Brett "Dirty Honey" Koshkin Has The Platters.

​ Leon's Lounge, the venerable Midtown throwback dive, is currently closed for renovations as new owner Pete Mitchell (Under the Volcano) gives it a good scrubbing, but it should be back open before too much longer. Maybe as soon as next month. Earlier this week, Rocks Off heard some equally good ... More >>

Marcia Ball, Texas Johnny Brown

Great Moments With Mr. Rockefeller: Ray Price, Bobby "Blue" Bland and the Kansas City All-Stars

[Ed. Note: To help spread the word about next Friday's benefit for the Houston International Festival's education programs at Rockefeller Hall, featuring Texas Johnny Brown and Marcia Ball, Rocks Off asked iFest director of performing arts and former Houston Chronicle music critic Rick Mitchell to r ... More >>

Tonight: Dr. Roger Wood Talks With Local Blues Legend Texas Johnny Brown

​Local legend Texas Johnny Brown is a living link to blues history. The 80-year-old was a key player in the genesis of the electric form of the genre, penning hits for the likes of Bobby "Blue" Bland, supporting stars like Ruth Brown and recording under his own name as far back as the late 1940s. ... More >>

The Soul of Houston: Blues Stories

Texas Johnny Brown shares stories of his life as a blues pioneer

The Nickel: A Musical History of the Fifth Ward, Part 4

[Note: Click on the numbers for parts 1, 2 and 3.] Fifth Ward music mogul Don Robey was so taken with Gatemouth Brown's talents that he built his entire Peacock label around him. Robey already owned the Bronze Peacock night club and various other business interests, but it was his meeting of Br ... More >>

Tonight: Original Sin Burlesque at House of Blues

Poster by Uncle Charlie What's the secret of a good burlesque dance? Well, choreography, costumes, agility, flexibility and old-fashioned seductiveness all have their place, of course, but it would be a poor burlesque show indeed without the proper strip-worthy tunes. Perhaps you can pick up a ... More >>

H-Town Blues Festival, with Clarence Carter

Wax Museum: MP3s from the Americans of '71 (and '72), Bobby Bland and Bobby & the Premiers

Texas Johnny Brown to Play Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Grand Theft Auto X: The Screwston Chronicles

Overnight Express: Simply Red Does Bobby "Blue" Bland

Thirteen Great Soul-Blues Album Covers

Bobby "Blue" Bland

Blues Clues at The Big Easy Social and Pleasure Club

Hittin' the Note with Gregg Allman

Pop Numerology: How High Can You Go?

Houston's Very Best Songs Ever

...otherwise known as the H-Town 20

The Houston 100: From Sir Douglas Quintet to Guy Clark

Idol Chatter

The H-Town Blues Festival

The H-Town Blues Festival will be held Saturday, February 3, at the Reliant Arena, 8400 Kirby Drive, 713-667-1400.

Sisters Are Punking It for Themselves

Mel Hell and Alice Sin lead the charge of the misfit boy-toys

Best New Bar

Midtown Getdown

Rich's goes straight, and the wait for a first-class, midsize Houston venue could be over

The Real Deal

Who is the more "authentic" bluesman -- Bobby Bland or T-Model Ford?

Bobby "Blue" Bland

Two Steps from the Blues (MCA/Duke-Peacock)

Rotation

Brown and Blue

Still a bluesman after all these years, Texas Johnny Brown returns to Houston

Smart Pop

Static

Getting a Grip

Press Picks

Perry Deep

Regular Treat

Critic's Choice

Let Bobby Inside Your Head

Mucking It Up

Ballot, ballot on the wall, who's the folkiest of all?