H-Bomb Ferguson Dies

  I  

Blues singer and pianist Robert “H-Bomb” Ferguson died in Cincinnati of emphysema and cardiopulmonary disease on Nov. 26. He was 77.

Ferguson, whose nick name derived from his over-the-top stage persona (including wearing large, brilliantly colored wigs), was one of the originators of what became rock-and-roll in the early 1950s. His hits included “Good Lovin’” and “Rock H-Bomb Rock.” He performed into the 1970s when he retired from show business, but hit stages again in the mid 1980s.



  • KP2_Print_copy.jpg

    ​Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.

  • John_Hammond_courtesy_johnhammond.com.jpg

    Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.

  • Richie_Beirach_neu.jpg

    Richie Beirach was particularly renowned for his approach to chromatic harmony, which he used to improvise reharmonizations of originals and standards.

  • Screenshot_2026-02-03_at_5.17.03%E2%80%AFPM_copy.jpg

    ​“I play what I want and what I like,” said Andrew Cyrille. “I use my knowledge artistically and professionally.”

  • Wynton_Marsalis_by_Frank_Stewart.jpg

    Marsalis will, if he chooses to use it, have a strong voice in perpetuating his vision through a role in choosing his successors.


On Sale Now
March 2026
Maria Schneider
Look Inside
Subscribe
Print | Digital | iPad