Harry Williams, last original member of '70s R&B band Bloodstone, dies at 80

[Steve M.]

U.S. media sources are reporting the death, on November 22, 2024, of Harry Williams – the last original member of the 1970s R&B/rock band Bloodstone. No other details are forthcoming.

Bloodstone were formed in Kansas City in 1962 as "the Sinceres." By the time the band recorded their debut record in the U.K., they were called Bloodstone. The lineup at that time was Charles McCormick, Willis Draffen Jr., Charles Love, Harry Williams, Roger Durham and Eddie Summers. Williams was the band’s percussionist.

Signed to the Decca label, their first LP was an eponymous set; the follow up, Natural High (produced by British blues and soul entrepreneur Mike Vernon), achieved gold status with the title track becoming a huge hit. The sweet soul sound of that track wasn’t totally typical of Bloodstone, who, as a self-contained unit, usually delivered a tougher soul and funk sound with a rock undercurrent. Amongst the band’s other best known song are "Never Let You Go," "Outside Woman" and "My Little Lady."

In 1975 the band made their movie Train Ride to Hollywood, a pop musical in which Williams has a dream of himself and his bandmates riding a train to Los Angeles with eight famous movie stars and movie characters of the 1930s and 1940s.

Bloodstone continued to record into the mid-1980s and different iterations of the band worked the tribute/oldies circuit. Most recently the “real” Bloodstone” worked as a trio – Harry Williams, Charles McCaleb and Donald Brown with Williams performing seated, indicating that he wasn’t in the best of health. Bloodstone received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National R&B Music Society in 2019.

[Dude111]

Very sad........ I dunno if I ever heard of them.....

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by Dude111

Very sad........ I dunno if I ever heard of them.....

Here's a video of Bloodstone performing their 1973 "Never Let You Go," which Williams wrote and sang lead on, on the BBC's "The Old Grey Whistle Test."