They just don’t make singers like him anymore.

With vocals that were both guttural and gritty, yet sensual and sweet — Bobby “Blue” Bland had pipes, and his distinct growl made him an icon in the blues genre.

His storied career came to an end last weekend, when he passed away at the age of 83 due to complications from an ongoing illness.

Bland was known as the “Sinatra of the Blues” because of his super-suave persona and his flawless 1961 album Two Steps From the Blues is required listening for anyone who appreciates soul.

The Rosemark, Tennessee-born singer was often overshadowed by his more famous contemporary, B.B. King. In fact when he was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, he was described as “second in stature only to B.B. King as a product of Memphis’ Beale Street blues scene.”