Bobby Durham born 1942

Bobby Durham (born 1942) is an American country musician. The middle of three musical sons born to a Dust Bowl dirt farmer, he remains one of the last performers from the golden days of the Bakersfield sound. His hits include Do You Still Drink Margaritas; Playboy; Let’s Start a Rumor Today and the classic song penned by Merle Haggard My Past Is Present. 

Bobby was born in Bakersfield in 1942, his brother Wayne in 1948. It was a musical family: Their older brother Ray was Lefty Frizzell’s road manager, and the younger boys performed almost from the time they could walk in a pair of boots. Bobby himself once sang “Pistol Packin’ Momma” in church at the age of 4 or 5. 

Durham first performed professionally at age 11, appearing on Billy Mize's TV show. He performed solo and occasionally with his brother Wayne on local shows such as Town Hall Party, Trading Post, and Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree and in 1953 he joined Cousin Ebb's Squirrel Shooters, which was the house band for the Pumpkin Center Barn Dance. Following this he played with Jolly Judy and the Go-Daddies and with Gene Davis's Palomino Riders. 

In the 1960s Durham signed to Capitol Records and released several singles, including his take on the Merle Haggard song "My Past Is Present". By 1962 he was a member of Gene Davis’ Palomino Riders, the house band at L.A.’s Palomino Club, where the regular patrons included some of country’s finest session players and most noteworthy up-and-comers - among them Glen Campbell, James Burton and Roger Miller. That same year Durham signed with Capitol Records, setting to vinyl songs written by Buck Owens, Red Simpson and Wynn Stewart, among others. 

                                   

In 1965 he was nominated for Most Promising Male Vocalist for the Academy of Country Music Awards and again in 1966 as Most Promising Vocal Group for a duet recording he did with Jeanie O'Neal. In 1968, he released a self-titled album, which was produced by Chet Atkins. 

When none of the recordings provided a commercial breakthrough, and Capitol declined to pick up an option on his contract, Durham joined the post-Buddy Holly Crickets, remaining with the group for five years. After his tenure with the Crickets, Durham began working in Las Vegas in 1972 and performed there for 11 years off and on with his brother Wayne as The Durham Brothers, He also operated a nightclub in Colorado Springs from 1975-78. In 1983 he returned to Bakersfield, California to take care of his family. 

The Durham Brothers released an album that featured the song Do You Still Drink Margaritas, the song became a hit for them and reached number 2 billing in the Australian charts . Unfortunately, the song's message underscored Durham's own struggles with alcohol. Shortly after marrying Tex Pistols vocalist Theresa Spanke in 1985, a conflict escalated to the point where Durham rammed his wife's Corvette into the back of a CHP cruiser. Although they divorced in 1988, they reconciled afterward. 

They were invited to play on the bill at The Grand Ole Opry in 1984. They took their Mother Adell Durham to the performance. "That was the thrill of my lifetime," Durham says. "I just wish my daddy had been around to see it." Durham's music continued to lure new fans. He performed with his band, the Tex Pistols, once a week at Buck Owens' Crystal Palace, and three nights a week at Trout's. 

In 1987 Bobby signed a deal with Hightone Records and released Where I Grew Up. Distribution of the album was also picked up in the UK by Demon Records where the album went Gold. The album featured the songs Playboy and Let's Start A Rumor Today the later of which also appears as track 1 on disc 3 of the Hightone Records box set The Hightone Records Story. 

Bobby has recorded his latest CD Last of the Golden Era, which released in 2010. He continues to make appearances including at Buck Owens's Crystal Palace with his band The Durham Band. August 24, 2010 was officially marked "Bobby Durham Day" in Bakersfield, CA for his contributions to the Bakersfield Sound; they held a celebration and concert at the Buck Owens's Crystal Palace. 

(Edited from Wikipedia, AllMusic & Bakersfield.com)