Bloodstone

Although they didn’t come to commercial prominence until the 1970s, Kansas City, Missouri -based soul / funk group Bloodstone’s roots date back to 1962. Originally a doo-wop group called The Sinceres, the early members came together while still in high school. By the early 1970s, the group – Melvin Webb (drums), Charles McCormick (bass), Roger Durham (percussion), Charles Love (guitar / vocals), Willis Draffen (guitar), and Harry Williams (vocals) – were performing Motown-inspired soul music. However, Melvin Webb left in 1971 and was replaced by Eddie Summers (who, in turn, was briefly replaced by Steve Ferrone in 1975). After relocating to Los Angeles, California, the group changed their name to Bloodstone and released their self-titled album in 1972. While the first album was not a commercial success, the group’s 1973 album Natural High was a hit and included the Top 10 R&B hits “Natural High” and “Never Let You Go.” While subsequent albums didn’t fare as well on the charts – only Unreal (1973) made the Top 10 while I Need Time (1974) was in the Top 20 – Bloodstone continued to release a series of successful singles on Billboard’s R&B Singles chart including 1974’s “Outside Woman” (number 2) 1975’s “My Little Lady” (number 4), 1979’s “We Go a Long Way Back” (number 5), and 1982’s “Go on and Cry” (number 18). By 1985, their commercial streak came to an end after the release of the album Bloodstone’s Greatest Hits. The band’s line-up continued to change throughout the years with only vocalist Harry Williams remaining the group’s sole original member up until his death on November 22, 2024, at the age of 80. He was preceded in death by his former bandmates Roger Durham (1973), Melvin Webb (1982), Willis Deafen (2002), Charles Love (2014), Ronald D. Bell (2020), and Charles McCormick (2022),