One Hit Wonder: Bobby Hebb

Welcome to another episode in the One Hit Wonders Series on Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm Jumpin' John, and in this episode I will take you back to the year 1966. It was in that year that a recording by a Nashville, Tennessee native climbed into the Top 10 of both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard R&B charts!  That performer's name was Bobby Hebb, and this is his story!

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Transcript

Thank you for that introduction and welcome to another episode in the One Hit Wonders Series on Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm Jumpin' John, and in this episode I will take you back to the year 1966. It was in that year that a recording by a Nashville, Tennessee native climbed into the Top 10 of both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard R&B charts!  That performer's name was Bobby Hebb, and this is his story!

Robert Alvin Von Hebb was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1938 to parents who were blind musicians.  His parents exposed him to gospel, classical, jazz, blues, and country music, and Bobby learned to tap dance and play the spoons as a rhythm instrument.  At the tender age of three, Bobby Hebb and his nine year old brother, Harold, performed as a song-and-dance team in their family's Nashville band, Hebb’s Kitchen Cabinet Orchestra.  By the age of 9, he was already performing in numerous nightclubs in the Nashville area.  At the age of twelve, Bobby Hebb got a job on a variety show, hosted by country music record producer Owen Bradley, on WSM-TV.  There he was discovered by Grand Ole Opry star Roy Acuff, who asked him to join his band, the Smoky Mountain Boys.  Thus, Bobby Hebb was one of the first Black entertainers to play the Opry stage.

In 1955 Bobby joined the Navy and played trumpet in a military jazz band.  By this time he also was proficient on guitar, piano, and various types of percussion.  Five years later, in 1960, Bobby Hebb went into the studio and recorded his version of the Roy Acuff song “Night Train to Memphis.”  The next year, he moved to New York City and began recording on Battle Records as part of the duo Bobby and Sylvia.  During this time, Hebb focused on playing R&B, but his country roots continued to influence his sound.  Bobby bounced around on different record companies before he found success on the Philips Records label.

On November 23rd, 1963, the day after the assassination of President Kennedy, Bobby Hebb's brother Harold was killed in a knife fight outside a Nashville nightclub.  Bobby was devastated by both events and sought comfort in songwriting.  It was during this period that he created his most famous song, "Sunny".  Some say that this optimistic song became Hebb's response to life's hardships and dark times.  The song's unique compositional form modulates up a half step every cycle after the second cycle and ends with a looped tag.  Not believing it would be successful, Hebb allowed others to record the song first.  However, his producer, Jerry Ross, encouraged him to record it himself. 

After Jerry Ross produced some demos of the song, "Sunny" was actually recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City on February 21st, 1966.  The personnel backing vocalist Bobby Hebb on the recording included Joe Shepley and Burt Collins on trumpet, Micky Gravine on trombone, Artie Kaplan and Joe Grimaldi on sax, Artie Butler on piano, Joe Renzetti and Al Gorgoni on guitar, Paul Brown and Joe Macho on bass, Al Rogers on drums, and George Devens on percussion.  The Blossoms female singing group also backed Bobby Hebb on vocals on the recording of "Sunny".  

Released as a single in June 1966, "Sunny" quickly climbed up the charts.  The song eventually peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 1966.  It was kept out of the #1 spot by The Lovin' Spoonful's “Summer in the City”.  "Sunny" reached #3 on the R&B charts and #12 in the UK.  It eventually sold over a million copies in the U. S. alone and was certified as a gold record.  Hebb's 1966 debut album, also called Sunny, reached #103 on the Billboard Albums chart.  “Sunny” was so popular that Bobby Hebb was contracted to be the opening act for the Beatles during their final tour.  Amazingly, while touring with The Beatles in 1966 Hebb's "Sunny" was, at the time of the tour, actually ranked higher than any Beatles song then on the Billboard Hot 100 chart!  

Here is Bobby Hebb's version of "Sunny":

Bobby Hebb's masterful song "Sunny" would inspire several generations of music lovers worldwide.  The biggest hit of his career, the tune would be covered by multiple musicians.  Among the artists who have recorded the song are Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, Boney M, and many more.  In 1966 Cher included the song on her third solo LP, called Chér, and her version achieved success in multiple Scandinavian countries.  Ironically, Cher's version was considered to be a tribute to her husband at the time, Sonny (with an "o") Bono.  The Classics IV included "Sunny" on their 1969 album, Traces.  I will include the Classics IV version of "Sunny" at the end of this podcast episode.  In total, there are hundreds of officially released versions of "Sunny," making it undoubtedly one of the most covered compositions in the history of pop music.  BMI rated "Sunny" at #25 in its "Top 100 Songs of the 20th Century".

Elements of the unique chord progression that Bobby Hebb wrote into "Sunny" are found in a few later jazz and pop songs.  Two examples are "If You Want Me to Stay" from Sly and the Family Stone's 1973 album Fresh and "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" from Stevie Wonder's 1973 album Innervisions.  Grover Washington, Jr.'s 1981 single "Just the Two of Us", written by Bill Withers, William Salter, and Ralph MacDonald, has a double-time reordering of the "Sunny" progression's first four bars.  

Unfortunately Bobby Hebb would never again reach the Top 20 in the U. S. with a recording.  Nevertheless, he continued to have sporadic success with his music.  His 1966 single, "A Satisfied Mind", reached #39 on the Billboard pop chart and #40 on the Billboard R&B chart.  His 1967 single entitled "Love Me" reached #84 on the pop chart.  In 1970 Bobby's second album, Love Games, was released, but it failed to chart in the U. S.  In 1972 a single from his 1966 album Sunny called "Love Love Love" reached #32 on the UK charts, but it did not chart in the United States.  In 1976, Hebb released a newly recorded disco version entitled "Sunny '76".  That single reached #94 on the R&B chart, but did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100.  

After a recording gap of three decades, Bobby Hebb recorded his third album, That's All I Wanna Know.  It was released in Europe in late 2005 by Tuition, a pop indie label.  Two new duet versions of "Sunny" were issued, one with Astrid North and the other with Pat Appleton.  However, That's All I Wanna Know failed to chart in the U. S.  Bobby also wrote many other songs, including Lou Rawls' 1971 hit "A Natural Man", which Hebb co-wrote with Sandy Baron.  

In the early 2000's, Hebb moved back to Nashville, where he appeared on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in forty-nine years.  He was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s exhibit Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945 to 1970.  Bobby would continue to live in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, until his death from lung cancer on August 3rd, 2010 at age 72.  On November 7th, 2010 Bobby Hebb was honored posthumously with a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville, recognizing his significant contributions to music, particularly for his hit song "Sunny".

Thank you for listening to another episode in the One Hit Wonders Series here on Rock and Roll Flashback podcasts.  This episode was devoted the American R&B and soul singer, musician, songwriter, recording and performing artist Bobby Hebb, best known for his 1966 hit "Sunny".  Over the years "Sunny" has become one of the most performed and recorded popular songs, with hundreds of versions released and its chord progression influencing later songs.   So, fellow travelers, may your path be smooth and your music always be rockin'!  And until next time...Rock On!