Ulysses B. "Bobby" Nunn Sr. (September 20, 1925 – November 5, 1986) was an American R&B singer with the musical groups

The Robins The Robins were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal groups who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound. They were founded by Ty Terrell, and twin brothers Bi ...

and original bass vocalist of

The Coasters The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with " Searchin'" and " Young Blood" in 1957, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producin ...

. He was born in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, United States, and died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

Los Angeles, California 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 wo ...

, U.S.

Biography

Nunn was a

welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

champion in the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

. After his

discharge Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...

in 1947 he moved to

Watts, California Watts, California, was a city of the sixth class that existed in Los Angeles County, California, between 1907 and 1926, when it was consolidated with the City of Los Angeles and became one of the neighborhoods in the southern part of that city. ...

. He became a member of the A-Sharp Trio with Billy Richards, Roy Richards, and Ty Terrell, and they eventually became

. Nunn would

record A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

some

duets A duet is a musical composition or piece for two performers. Duets or The Duets may also refer to: Films and television * ''Duets'' (film), a 2000 film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti and Huey Lewis * "Duets" (''Glee''), a 2010 episod ...

with

Little Esther Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

as well as some

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ' ...

recordings in the early 1950s. In 1952 he recorded for Sage & Sand Records with Bobby Byrd and Ty Terrell. Bobby Byrd is better known as

Bobby Day 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 un ...

of " Rockin' Robin" fame. In 1955, Nunn and

Carl Gardner Carl Edward Gardner (April 29, 1928 – June 12, 2011) was an American singer, best known as the foremost member and founder of The Coasters. Known for the 1958 song "Yakety Yak", which spent a week as number one on the Hot 100 pop list, he was ...

split from The Robins to become

with

Leon Hughes Leon Hughes, Sr. (born Leon Hughes, May 6, 1930 in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Los Angeles County, California) is an American rhythm and blues singer. He is the last surviving original member of The Coasters. Biography Leon Hughes is an origin ...

and

Billy Guy Billy Guy (June 20, 1936 – November 5, 2002) was an American singer, best known as a lead singer for the Coasters. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Biography Born Frank Phillips in Texas, Guy is best known as a memb ...

. After leaving The Coasters, he teamed with another former Coaster

to record as The Dukes in 1959. Two

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

were released "Looking For You" b/w "Groceries, Sir" (Flip #343), and "I Love You" b/w "Leap Year Cha Cha" (Flip #344). Nunn recorded backup

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...

with a vocal group for

Dorsey Burnette Dorsey William Burnett Jr. (December 28, 1932 – August 19, 1979) was an American early rockabilly singer. With his younger brother Johnny Burnette and a friend named Paul Burlison, he was a founder member of The Rock and Roll Trio. He is al ...

Imperial Records Imperial Records is an American record company and label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The label was reactivated in 2006 by EMI, which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by Universal Music Group. Early years to ...

. These two songs "Try" and "You Came As A Miracle" were recorded on August 28, 1958, and were released as a single (Imperial #5561) in March 1959. In 1965, Nunn

arranged In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

the

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

"Whip It On Me Baby" by

The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor h ...

. This song was earlier recorded by fellow Coaster

on Double-L Records in 1963. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Nunn had his own group of Coasters called "The Coasters Mark II" with members

Grady Chapman Grady Chapman (October 1, 1929 – January 4, 2011) was best known as the American lead singer of doo wop group The Robins. Biography Born in Greenville, South Carolina, Chapman joined The Robins in 1952, singing alongside Bobby Nunn, Bill ...

Bobby Sheen Robert Joseph Sheen (May 17, 1941 – November 23, 2000) was an American rhythm and blues singer. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Sheen is best known for singing with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans who had their biggest hit "Zip-a-Dee-Doo- ...

, and Billy Richards Jr. (who is nephew to Billy Richards). Nunn also appeared on a record by "The Coasters Two Plus Two" in 1975 called "Searchin '75" b/w "Young Blood" (released on Chelan Records and produced by

Bumps Blackwell A bumps race is a form of rowing race in which a number of boats chase each other in single file, each crew attempting to catch and ‘bump’ the boat in front without being caught by the boat behind. The form is mainly used in intercollegiat ...

). The other members of this group included

, and Jerome Evans. In 1985, Nunn's group of The Coasters had appeared on the NBC variety show "Our Time" hosted by

Karen Valentine Karen Valentine (born May 25, 1947) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as young idealistic schoolteacher Alice Johnson in the ABC comedy drama series '' Room 222'' from 1969 to 1974, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award ...

, "

Fabian Fabian may refer to: People * Fabian (name), including a list of people with the given name or surname * Pope Fabian (died 250), Catholic saint * Fabian Forte (born 1943), 1950s American teen idol, singer and actor, known by the mononym Fabian * ...

's Good Time Rock 'N' Roll" oldies special, and a Churches Chicken commercial (which included members Nunn, Sheen, Richards, and Sonny Chaney). After Nunn's death in 1986,

and Billy Richards Jr. continued to tour with Nunn's group of

. Nunn is

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

at the Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles. (Another Bobby Nunn recorded for

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

in 1982. He is no relation to this Bobby Nunn.)

Discography

Singles

*"Why Did You Leave Me Baby?" / "Alone About Midnight" (Hamptone International #605) (1/1950) *"Bring Your Lovin’ Back To Me" / "I Got A Country Gal" (Blue #105) (1950) (as Billy Nunn) *"Anticipating Blues" / "Hard Luck Women & Strife" (

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

by Big Duke with Pete Johnson All-Stars) ( Dootone #302) (1950) *"Clappin’ And Shoutin’" / " I'm Tellin’ You Baby" (Blue #115) (1951) (as Billy Nunn) *"Christmas Bells" / "Two Sisters" (B-side

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instr ...

by Que Martin) (

Recorded In Hollywood Recorded In Hollywood was an independent American record label specializing in rhythm and blues, active from the late 1940s to the end of the 1950s, which issued several sides by artists significant to the genre. John Dolphin operated the label ou ...

#244) (1951) *"Saturday Night Daddy" / "Mainliner" (B-side by

) (Federal #12100) (1952) (Bobby Nunn & Little Esther) *"You Took My Love Too Fast" / "Streetlights (B-side by Little Esther) (Federal #12122) (1952) (Bobby Nunn & Little Esther) *"Please Don’t Hurt Me" / "Delicious Are Your Kisses" (Sage & Sand #203) (1952) (with Bobby Byrd & Ty Terrell) *"Candle Of Love" / "Peanut Brittle" (Sage & Sand #204) (1952) (with Bobby Byrd & Ty Terrell) *"Like" / "Henrietta" (Titan #1703) (1960) ("Henrietta" with Ginny Tyler) *"Sixty Minute Man Is Back"/"Been Thinking It Over" (Tishman 714)(????)

Various artists compilations

*''Blues For Dootsie: The Blue And Dootone Sides'' (Ace #1115) (2006) *''Rhythm And Blues Christmas'' (Ace #1128) (2006) *''From The Doo Wop Vaults Of Titan Records'' (TRCD #1700)

Notes

External links

The Coasters website Find A Grave Memorial
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nunn, Bobby 1925 births 1986 deaths American rhythm and blues singers The Coasters members Boxers from Alabama Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles 20th-century American singers American male boxers 20th-century American male singers Recorded In Hollywood artists Welterweight boxers