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Bobby Roberts (1)


with Bad Habits

Rockabilly

always klick on pic’s.


Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

* Sept. 12, 1937; unknown

Tennessee

Info! / Discography  Bobby Roberts

Bobby Roberts 1

Bobby Roberts: ”Im gonna comb you outta my hair”! (1955), from pure Hank Williams-style honky-tonk to wild rock’n’roll.

One of the newest members of the King country and western roster is eighteen year old Bobby Roberts. Young Bobby was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on September 12, 1937. Bobby always dreamed of becoming a recording artist and he started getting his experience young. He appeared in a musical show when only nine. Both his mother and father encouraged Bobby in his chosen career. Young Bobby Roberts did part time work to help him through high school. He was graduated in June 1953 and began going about the task of gaining experience in the music world. His biggest thrill was when over three thousand persons attended one of his personal appearances. Roberts has worked as a grocery clerk, car hop, shined shoes, polished cars and washed dishes, always dreaming of becoming a professional musician‘.(as written on the DJ bio copy of King 4868).   At least some factual data can now be gleaned on Roberts’ origins. He recorded one session for King in August 1955 and I’m assuming that it is the same Bobby Roberts that recorded for the Memphis based Hut label in 1958. However, I’m not entirely convinced that the Roberts on Sky is the same person. I base this assumption on aural evidence (the vocalists on both records contrast distinctly) and the fact that Sky was based in Mississippi. Having said that, from a logical point of view it most likely is the same Roberts on all three labels, as Joe Griffith, a high school friend of Roberts, covered both of Roberts’ Sky recordings and both were apparently based in Memphis at the time. Further, considering Roberts Tennessee origins, it possibly is the same Roberts on all four discs.   My query here is, can anyone confirm that the Bobby Roberts on King, Sky and Hut is the same person? Or can anyone else shed any light at all on this? It has to be noted Roberts wrote all his material.

Read the original text here >>>Bobby Roberts (1) with Bad Habits

Original release HUT 881 (Tenn. US) 03/1958 // This release, repro Hut 881 [1973]

Hop, Skip and Jump - 1958

Cravin’ - 1958

Using a number of different sources, I managed to compile the following Bobby Roberts discography,

    19 August 1955, Cincinnati, Ohio.      Bobby Roberts And The Ozark Drifters.  Bobby Roberts – vcl, other personnel unknown : steel, fiddle,st-bass.

 K3995 ‘Her And My Best Friend’ King 4868      K3996 ‘I’m Gonna Comb You Outta My Hair’ King 4837

K3997 ‘My Undecided Heart’ King 4837.     K3998 ‘I’m Pullin’ Stakes And Leavin’ You’ King 4868

1956.     Bobby Roberts with Highpockets Delta Rockets. Mississippi label. Bobby Roberts – vcl, other personnel unknown : ld-g, b, d .

 45-S-34 ‘Big Sandy’ Sky 56-101      45-S-33 ‘She’s My Woman’ Sky 56-101

1958.     Bobby Roberts with Bad Habits. Memphis, TN, label.  Bobby Roberts – vcl, other personnel unknown : ld-g,b,d.

4706 ‘Hop Skip And Jump’ Hut 881      4707 ‘Cravin” Hut 881

This Roberts has obviously nothing to do with the one on U.S.A. label and the other on Cameo, who came later early ’60s, and drastically change in style. Nothing to do too with Media (Philadelphia) or GMA artists.

 Bobby Roberts’ music, from editor’s point of view.

 It is hard to imagine such a change in so little time in style between the King session and the Sky one.   All 4 sides cut at King (« with the Ozark Drifters ») are pure dreamed hillbilly a la Hank Williams. All medium paced tracks, they feature a strong string-bass, and a weird steel-guitar, both propelled by a crisp fiddle. Vocal is a dream, Roberts has a firm voice, even some semi-yodelling vocalizing over nice lyrics.   In complete contrast, the Sky sides are out-and-out rockers. « Big Sandy » is a screamer, and the whole thing is a gas. « She’s my woman », a bit slower, fetches to Rockabilly. Note on the reissue the presence of the Jennings Brothers. « Cravin’ » is a routinely rocker, while « Hop skip and jump » (not the Collins Kids’ number, neither the York Brothers’ on Bullet ) is an average rocker – even a sax – which Billy Riley could have cut this style. Actually it bears a little similarity with « Pearly Lee »..   The son to Bobby Roberts once posted in « bopping » that his father was the same man on King, Sky and Hut ; so I asked for some details and a picture, if available – no answer..


© Stefan Schröder 2017     stefan.sch@gagnef.st