ed ▁by ▁and ▁tou red ▁with ▁a ▁large ▁Kansas ▁City ▁horn ▁band ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Sm ok in ' ▁Emer ald s ▁and ▁performed ▁its ▁version ▁of ▁a ▁Mot own - style ▁review , ▁which ▁drew ▁large ▁crow ds ▁at ▁a ▁ven ue ▁called ▁the ▁Place ▁in ▁the ▁West port ▁district ▁of ▁K C . ▁By ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁the ▁band ▁consisted ▁of ▁Mel vin ▁Web b ▁on ▁drums , ▁Roger ▁Dur ham ▁( F ebru ary ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 4 6 – J uly ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 ) ▁on ▁per cussion , ▁Charles ▁Love ▁on ▁guitar ▁and ▁vocals ▁( born ▁Charles ▁De e ▁Love , ▁Jr ., ▁April ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Sal ina , ▁Kansas ; ▁died ▁March ▁ 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Kansas ▁City , ▁Missouri ), ▁Charles ▁McC orm ick ▁on ▁bass , ▁Harry ▁Williams ▁on ▁per cussion , ▁and ▁Will is ▁Dra ffen ▁on ▁guitar . ▁ ▁After ▁learning ▁to ▁play ▁their ▁respective ▁musical ▁instruments , ▁they ▁moved ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California , ▁where ▁they ▁met ▁their ▁pros pective ▁man agers ▁George ▁Braun stein ▁and ▁Ron ▁Ham ady . ▁The ▁band ▁also ▁replaced ▁its ▁drum mer ▁Mel vin ▁Web b ▁with ▁Edd ie ▁Sum mers , ▁a ▁resident ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁The ▁man agers ▁decided ▁to ▁change ▁their ▁name ▁from ▁the ▁Sin cer es ▁to ▁Blood stone . ▁Later ▁the ▁group ▁tra ve