Bob Enos, 60, trumpeter for Roomful of Blues

Bob Enos joined Roomful of Blues in 1981.

Bob Enos, a Boston native and resident of Wareham who played trumpet for more than a quarter century with the enduring Rhode Island ensemble Roomful of Blues, died in a Georgia hotel room early Friday morning. He was 60.

Mr. Enos appeared to have died in his sleep of natural causes, just hours after playing a concert at Douglas Country Club, said Clifford Thomas, police chief of Douglas, Ga. There were no signs of foul play.

The band, which released its new album, "Raisin' a Ruckus," Tuesday, was en route to Fort Lauderdale to participate in The Legendary Blues Cruise, a seven-day, multiartist Caribbean excursion.

Roomful of Blues will continue its tour, according to the group's label, Alligator Records, with former band member John Wolfe taking Mr. Enos's place.

"Bob was one of a kind, a unique talent," Roomful of Blues leader Chris Vachon said in a written statement. "The band obviously feels devastated. When you work as closely together as a band as Roomful does, each person is family; we're like brothers."

Mr. Enos was born on July 4, 1947, took up the trumpet at 14, and studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. He spent the late '60s and early '70s playing in soul and R&B bands, among them doo-wop stars The Platters, and he cofounded the jazz-fusion ensemble Channel One.

Mr. Enos joined Roomful on the eve of their debut national tour in 1981, and as a member of the group's renowned horn section backed countless other artists on stage and in the studio, from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Pat Benatar. Mr. Enos cited Louis Armstrong as his biggest influence.

Also known as "Bubba," Mr. Enos was celebrated for his good humor as well as his energetic, searing attack.

"It didn't matter how tired the band was, how long the drive to the job had been," said Greg Piccolo, who played with Enos in Roomful from 1981-1994. "He was always there, right on the money. He could always hit those high notes. It was an amazing thing; I had never worked with a trumpet player who was so consistent."

Bob Bell managed the band for 21 years before retiring in 2002. He said that aside from Mr. Enos's family, Roomful of Blues was the trumpet player's life.

"He loved the music, and he loved the band," Bell said. "He was a pro through and through. He brought a lot of joy to an awful lot of folks. And he was a really sweet guy."

Mr. Enos leaves his wife, Jill; three sons, Louis, Jude, and Joseph; and a daughter, Elizabeth.

Material from the Associated Press was included in this obituary.