The Bobby Fuller Four
Advertisement
Advertisement
Top Related Artists
Biography
Formed in El Paso, Texas in 1962, the Bobby Fuller Four was a pop rock quartet best known for the 1965 hits âI Fought the Lawâ and âLet Her Dance.â Originally inspired by rock and roll greats like Buddy Holly, Bobby Fuller â born in Baytown, Texas on October 22, 1942 â released his debut solo single, âYouâre in Love,â in 1961. Backed by his then-current band the Embers, the single was a local hit. He formed his own band featuring his brother Randy on bass and drummer Gaylord Grimes and recorded his next single, âGently My Love,â at Norman Petty Recording Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, the same studio that Buddy Holly recorded all his classic hits. After several more singles, Bobby Fuller and his band went to Hollywood, California in 1964 to pursue a record deal. He was turned down by record labels but was encouraged to work on more original material before trying again. He and his band returned to El Paso and released more singles before feeling that they were ready for a record deal. Heading back to Hollywood, the classic line-up came together: Bobby Fuller, Randy Fuller, Jim Reese (guitar), and DeWayne Quirico (drums). Signing to Del-Fi Records, their first single, âThose Memories of Youâ (1964), was released on sister label Donna Records. Impressed by what he was hearing, Del-Fiâs owner set up Mustang Records just for releases by Bobby Fuller and issued the âWolfmanâ / âThunder Reefâ single. Settling on the group name the Bobby Fuller Four, their next single was 1965âs âTake My Word.â The band finally hit the charts with âLet Her Dance,â which only reached number 133 but was a hit in Southern California. After the release of the single âNever to Be Forgotten,â the Bobby Fuller Four finally reached the Top 10 with âI Fought the Law,â a cover of a Crickets song written by Sonny Curtis. Drummer DeWayne Quirico quit the band and was replaced by the groupâs original drummer, Dalton Powell. The Bobby Fuller Four went back to the Buddy Holly catalog for âLoveâs Made a Fool of You,â which reached number 26 on the Hot 100. The next single, âThe Magic Touch,â didnât chart nationally, but it was another local hit. Behind the scenes, the band began to splinter with John Reese being drafted and Powell planning to head back to El Paso. On July 16, 1966, the body of Bobby Fuller was found in his car parked outside of his home. Beaten and covered in gasoline, his death was ruled a suicide by investigators, but rumors continue to circulate that he was killed by the mob. He was just 23 years old. Bob Keane from Del-Fi Records put together a new band called the Randy Fuller Four but that was short lived. Like his idol Buddy Holly, Bobby Fuller didnât live long enough to realize his true potential.
Read All
Read Less
Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- I Fought the Law
- Do You Wanna Dance
- Stringer
- Another Sad And Lonely Night
- High Desert Sky
- King Of The Wheels by The Bobby Fuller Four
- Baby My Heart
- Nancy Jean
- Love's Made A Fool Of You by The Bobby Fuller Four
- It Happened In El Paso
- Let Her Dance
- A New Shade Of Blue
- The Lobby
- It Doesn't Matter Anymore
- I'm A Lucky Guy by The Bobby Fuller Four
- Don't Ever Let Me Know by The Bobby Fuller Four
- It's Too Late
- Take My Word
- Nervous Breakdown
- Not Fade Away
- Phantom Dragster by The Bobby Fuller Four
- Big Kahuna (Radio Spot)
- She's My Girl
