Robert James Byrd (July 1, 1930 – July 27, 1990), known by the stage name Bobby Day, was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record " Rockin' Robin", written by

Leon René Leon René (February 6, 1902 – May 30, 1982) was an American music composer of pop, R&B and rock and roll songs and a record producer in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. He sometimes used the songwriting pseudonym Jimmy Thomas or Jimmie Thoma ...

under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas.

Biography

Born in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...

, United States, Day moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, at the age of 15. His first recording was "Young Girl" in 1949 in the R&B group, The Hollywood Flames, released in 1950 on the Selective Label. He went several years with minor musical success limited to the West Coast. He recorded under numerous other names: The Jets, The Voices, The Sounds, The Crescendos, and as the original "Bob" in the duo Bob & Earl with singer Earl Nelson. As a member of The Flames, he used the stage name Bobby Day. His penned song, "Buzz Buzz Buzz" was that outfit's first and biggest success. In 1957, Day formed his own band called the Satellites, following which he recorded three songs that are seen today as rock and roll classics. Day's best known songwriting efforts were " Over and Over", later made popular by

The Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark (musician), Dave Clark served as the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964 they had thei ...

in 1965, and " Little Bitty Pretty One", popularized by Thurston Harris in 1957, Frankie Lymon in 1960,

Clyde McPhatter Clyde Lensley McPhatter (November 15, 1932 – June 13, 1972) was an American rhythm and blues, soul, and rock and roll singer. He was one of the most widely imitated R&B singers of the 1950s and early 1960sPalmer, Robert (1981)"Roy Brown, a Pi ...

in 1962, and the Jackson Five in 1972. However, Day is most remembered for his 1958 solo recording of the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

No. 2 hit, Rockin' Robin, written by Leon Rene under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold record. "Rockin' Robin" was a song

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

by Bob Luman at Town Hall Party on October 28, 1958,

The Hollies The Hollies are a British pop rock band, formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band ...

in 1964, Gene Vincent in 1969,

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

in 1972, and by

McFly McFly are an English pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the '' Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Danny Jones (lead vocals, har ...

in 2006. In 2012–2013, his uncharted recording, "Beep-Beep-Beep", was the musical soundtrack for a Kia Sorento television commercial shown nationwide in the U.S. Day died of

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that su ...

on 27 July 1990, at the age of 60, and is buried in

Holy Cross Cemetery Holy Cross Cemetery may refer to: United States California * Holy Cross Cemetery (Colma, California) *Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California * Holy Cross Cemetery (Menlo Park, California) * Holy Cross Cemetery (Pomona, California) *Holy ...

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...

Singles

Television appearances

*''

The Dick Clark Show ''The Dick Clark Show'' (also known as ''Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beechnut Show'') was an American musical variety show broadcast weekly in the United States on the ABC television network 7:30-8 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Saturdays from February 15 ...

'' (two episodes) (1958) *''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pr ...

'' (four episodes) (1958) *''The Cinnamon Cinder Show'' (1963) *'' The Midnight Special'' (1973)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Day, Bobby 1930 births 1990 deaths African-American male songwriters American rhythm and blues singers American rock singers American soul singers Songwriters from Texas Jamie Records artists RCA Victor artists Class Records artists Rock and roll musicians Sue Records artists People from Fort Worth, Texas Deaths from cancer in California Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City 20th-century African-American male singers