Charles Love obit

Charles Love, Bloodstone’s Founder and Vocalist, Has Died

 He was not on the list.

We regret to inform SoulTrackers of the death of Charles Love, a founding member, guitarist and vocalist for the group Bloodstone. Love reportedly died of complications from pneumonia in his home town of Kansas City, Missouri.

Bloodstone was formed in 1962 as a high school doo-wop group then called the Sinceres. By the time of their overseas relocation in 1971, the band consisted of Love on guitar and vocals, Melvin Webb on drums, Roger Durham on percussion and Charles McCormack on bass, Harry Williams on percussion, and Willis Draffen on guitar. The members had renamed themselves Bloodstone, and after learning to play their respective musical instruments, moved to Los Angeles, California. 

Their eponymous first album, Bloodstone, introduced the song “That’s The Way We Make Our Music” and the gold follow-up album, Natural High, gave the group its signature song in the form of the title track, which reached the Top 10 on both the pop and R&B charts. Bloodstone became known for their funk/soul tracks that blended Jimi Hendrix-styled rock music with doo-wop and gospel music undertones. The group’s other 1970s hits included “Never Let You Go”, “Outside Woman” and “My Little Lady”. 

Bloodstone was instrumental in the “black rock” and funk movement of the 1970s and performed with such varied acts as Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Elton John and The Impressions. 

Bloodstone achieved a moderate comeback in the early 1980s with the album We Go a Long Way Back (1982), whose title track reached the R&B chart Top 5. A follow-up single, “Go On and Cry,” also hit the R&B top 20.

The group continued to record into the mid 1980s.   Bloodstone also starred in and wrote all the music for a film entitled Train Ride To Hollywood (1975). Founding members who died prior to Love include Roger Durham in 1972, Melvin Webb in 1982 and Willis Draffen in 2002. The surviving members of the group are Harry Williams, Charles McCormick and Donald Brown.