Musician’s services set for Thursday

Funeral services for soul-blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland will be at noon Thursday at First Baptist Church, 2835 Broad Ave.

The Bland family has decided to allow the public to “share in the celebration” of the singer’s life by streaming the services live. Commercialappeal. com will stream the event, beginning at noon.

The revered vocalist died Sunday at his home in Germantown at the age of 83. A visitation was held at the church Wednesday afternoon.

A Memphis-area native, Bland was a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, and enjoyed a long and successful career as an R&B hit maker and singular song stylist.

Bland’s family has asked that any memorials be sent to The Blues Foundation for its HART Fund, which aids performers who have health-related financial needs.