Bobby Day born 1 July 1930

Bobby Day (July 1, 1930* - July 27, 1990), was an American rock and roll and R&B musician. 

Robert James Byrd, 1 July 1930, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, d. 27 July 1990. Day moved to Los Angeles in 1947 and shortly afterwards formed the Flames, who recorded under a variety of names on numerous labels throughout the 50s. Oddly, it took until 1957 before they achieved their first and biggest hit as the Hollywood Flames with Day’s song ‘Buzz, Buzz, Buzz’. Simultaneously, the group were climbing the US charts as Bobby Day And The Satellites with another of his songs, ‘Little Bitty Pretty One’ on Class Records, although a cover version by Thurston Harris became a bigger hit.

Day, who first recorded solo in 1955, took lone billing again in 1958 for the double-sided US number 2 hit ‘Rockin’ Robin’ and ‘Over And Over’. "Rockin' Robin" was written by Leon Rene under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold record. It was covered by Bob Luman at Town Hall Party on October 28, 1958, The Hollies in 1964, Gene Vincent in 1969, Michael Jackson in 1972, and by McFly in 2006.

 

 

Despite releasing a string of further outstanding R&B/rock singles in the 50s, this distinctive singer-songwriter never returned to the Top 40. In the early 60s he formed Bob And Earl with ex-Hollywood Flame Earl Nelson, although he was replaced before the duo’s hit ‘Harlem Shuffle’. He later recorded without success under various names on Rendezvous, RCA Records and Sureshot and his own Bird Land label. He temporarily relocated to Australia before settling in Florida.

Although his records were no longer selling, his songs were often revived, with Dave Clark taking ‘Over And Over’ to the top in 1965, Michael Jackson taking ‘Rockin’ Robin’ to number 2 in 1972 and the Jackson Five reaching the Top 20 with the catchy ‘Little Bitty Pretty One’ in 1972. Day’s long-awaited UK debut in 1989 was warmly received, although sadly he died of cancer in July 1990. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

In 2012-2013, his uncharted recording, "Beep-Beep-Beep", was the musical soundtrack for a US-nationwide Kia Sorento television commercial. (Info mainly from Wikipedia) (* other sources give birth year as 1928 & 1932)