Robert Glen "Bobby" Doyle (August 14, 1939 – July 30, 2006) was an American singer, bassist, and pianist. He is best known for his early work with a young

Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...

and for a brief stint with

Blood, Sweat & Tears Blood, Sweat & Tears (also known as "BS&T") is a jazz rock music group founded in New York City in 1967, noted for a combination of brass with rock instrumentation. In addition to original music, the group has performed popular songs by Laura Ny ...

. He played piano on two tracks on BS&T's 1972 album '' New Blood''. Doyle joined the doo-wop group The Spades (later

The Slades The Slades were a vocal group out of Austin, Texas. All the members attended local McCallum High School. Personnel included John Goeke, Don Burch, Tommy Kaspar, Bobby Doyle, and Jimmy Davis. The first four were on their initial recording with Da ...

) in 1957 while still at

McCallum High School A. N. McCallum High School is a public high school in Austin, Texas, United States. McCallum, the second oldest high school in the Austin Independent School District (formerly known as Austin Public Schools prior to desegregation in 1971), open ...

Austin Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. In 1960 he formed The Bobby Doyle Three with Don Russell and standup bass player Kenny Rogers, then a student at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

. Rogers soon dropped out of college to join Doyle full-time, singing high harmony and playing bass on the 1962 album ''In A Most Unusual Way''. The group appeared at clubs across the country including the New York

Playboy Club The Playboy Club was initially a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first Playboy Club opened in Chicago in 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room, and a Club R ...

in 1962. The trio disbanded in 1965, and Rogers went on to become a country-pop sensation. Doyle continued as a solo artist, releasing multiple singles and albums including an appearance on the soundtrack for the 1971 film ''

Vanishing Point A vanishing point is a point on the image plane of a perspective drawing where the two-dimensional perspective projections of mutually parallel lines in three-dimensional space appear to converge. When the set of parallel lines is perpendicul ...

''. In the 1980s, Doyle on piano, Rick Moses on bass and William Walton on drums, backed Brunswick recording artist Sunny Nash. In the mid-1990s, Rogers (now a long established superstar) reunited with Doyle and Russell as part of a special concert called "Going Home" where Rogers sang a selection of his greatest hits and favorite songs. The original Bobby Doyle Trio line-up performed "It's A Good Day" with Doyle on lead vocals. Doyle was born blind as a result of his mother contracting

German measles Rubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella virus. This disease is often mild, with half of people not realizing that they are infected. A rash may start around two weeks after exposure and ...

during pregnancy. An operation in 1959 to restore his sight, paid for by his high school friends, was unsuccessful.

Discography

Singles ''The Spades'' (Don Windell Burch, John Goeke, Tommy Kaspar, Bobby Doyle (bass), Joyce Webb) * Domino Records,

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

, 1957 ::OR200/OR100: "Baby"/"You Mean Everything To Me" *

Liberty Records Liberty Records was a record label founded in the United States by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revival ...

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

, December 23, 1957 :: F-55118: "Baby"/"You Mean Everything To Me" (also released in Canada on London Liberty F-55118 (45 rpm) and LI.55118 (78 rpm)) ''

'' (Don Burch, John Goeke, Tommy Kaspar, Bobby Doyle, Jimmy Davis, Joyce Webb (Liberty single only)) *

, December, 1957 (reissue with name change to Slades) :: F-55118: "Baby"/"You Mean Everything To Me" * Domino Records,

::OR300/OR400: "Right Here"/"After You've Gone" (Joyce Webb with The Slades), 1957 ::R-500: "You Cheated"/"The Waddle", July 1958 (also released in Canada on Sparton 4-635R (45 rpm) and 636R (78 rpm) ::R-800: "You Gambled"/"No Time", 1958 (also released in Canada on Reo 8316X) ::R-901: "It's Better To Love"/"Just You", 1959 (promo release was R-900) ::1000: "You Must Try"/" Summertime", June 1959 ::R-903: "I Cheated (Joyce Harris and The Slades)/"Do You Know What It's Like To Be Lonesome?" (Joyce Harris), 1961 ::R-906: "It's Your Turn"/"Take My Heart", 1961 ''Bobby Doyle and The Ideals'' (Bobby Doyle, Chuck Joyce, George Millard, Merle Moden, Jeff Rampy, Jerry Squyres) *Trinity Records,

, 1958 :: AR-112: "Too Late"/"Chug-a-Lug" ''Bobby Doyle Three'' (Bobby Doyle, Ken Russell,

) *

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

New York, NY New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, 1963 ::4-42613: "Empty Pockets Filled With Love" (Kirby Stone Four with Bobby Doyle Three)/"

The Eyes Of Texas "The Eyes of Texas" is the school spirit song of the University of Texas at Austin. It is set to the tune of " I've Been Working on the Railroad". Students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the university sing the song at Texas Longhorns sports g ...

" (Kirby Stone Four) *Towne House Record Company,

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

::TH-112: "Don't Feel Rained On"/"(Just A Summer Ago) Maggie", 1964 *

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

::WB 5462: "Don't Feel Rained On"/"(Just A Summer Ago) Maggie", August 1964 ''Bobby Doyle'' * Back Beat Records,

:: BB 528: "Pauline"/"Someone Else, Not Me", September 14, 1959, music by Jimmy Duncan :: BB 531: "Hot Seat"/"Unloved", March, 1960, music by Jimmy Duncan *

:: WB 7207: "Nobody There At All"/"So Long Good Times", June 1968 :: WB 7252: "

River Deep – Mountain High "River Deep – Mountain High" is a song by Ike & Tina Turner released as the title track to their 1966 studio album on Philles Records. Produced by Phil Spector and written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. ''Rolling Stone'' ranke ...

"/"

Blowin' in the Wind "Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962. It was released as a single and included on his album ''The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'' in 1963. It has been described as a protest song and poses a series of rhetorical questions about ...

", December 1968 :: WB 7273: " I Just Can't Help Believin'"/"We're All Born Free", 1969 :: WB 7303: "Yesterday And You"/"I'll Be Going Back Home", 1969 *

Bell Records Bell Records was an American record label founded in 1952 in New York City by Arthur Shimkin, the owner of the children's record label Golden Records, and initially a unit of Pocket Books, after the rights to the name were acquired from Benny ...

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...

:: 45-294 promo: " Sail Away (mono)"/"Sail Away (stereo)", November 1972 :: 45-329 promo: "Hey Buddy (mono)"/"Hey Buddy (stereo)", March 1973 Albums ''Bobby Doyle Three'' * ''In A Most Unusual Way'',

CL-1858, New York, 1962 :# "

I Got Rhythm "I Got Rhythm" is a piece composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the " rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes suc ...

" :# "

People Will Say We're in Love "People Will Say We're In Love" is a show tune from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, '' Oklahoma!'' (1943). In the original Broadway production, the song was introduced by Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts. Plot context The other characters ...

" :# "It's a Most Unusual Day" :# "

It's a Good Day "It's a Good Day" is a popular song written by Peggy Lee and her husband Dave Barbour and published in 1946. Peggy Lee's recording reached the Billboard charts in January, 1947 peaking at No. 16. Other Recordings The song has been recorded by m ...

" :# " Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" :# "

My Mammy "My Mammy" is an American popular song with music by Walter Donaldson and lyrics by Joe Young and Sam M. Lewis. Though associated with Al Jolson, who performed the song very successfully, "My Mammy" was performed first in 1918 by William Fra ...

" :# "

Come Rain or Come Shine "Come Rain or Come Shine" is a popular music song, with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the Broadway musical '' St. Louis Woman'', which opened on March 30, 1946, and closed after 113 performances. Chart perf ...

" :# "Old Folks" :# "Over and Over" :# "

And the Angels Sing ''And the Angels Sing'' is a 1944 musical film directed by George Marshall and starring Dorothy Lamour, Fred MacMurray, and Betty Hutton. Released by Paramount Pictures, it is a classic example of a film written to capitalize on the title of a p ...

" :# " In the Still of the Night" :# "When the Feeling Hits You" ''Bobby Doyle'' * ''The Bobby Doyle Introductory Offer'',

1744, 1968 ::

Al Capps Allan Alfonzo Capps (April 26, 1939 – June 7, 2018) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. Beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, he produced and arranged albums for popular artists such as Cher, ...

(arranger),

Harold Battiste Harold Raymond Battiste Jr. (October 28, 1931 – June 19, 2015) was an American music composer, arranger, performer, and teacher. A native of, and later community leader in, New Orleans, he is best known for his work as an arranger on record ...

(arranger),

Mike Post Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil, September 29, 1944) is an American composer, best known for his TV theme music for various shows, including ''Law & Order''; '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; ''The A-Team''; ''NYPD Blue''; ''Renegad ...

(producer); released in UK with different cover :# "Back on The Road" :# "Don't Look Back" :# "Nobody There at All" :# "Poor Boy" :# "Just One More Time" :# "So Much Love" :# "Baby, I'd Be Lost" :# "So Long Good Times" :# "Right On Time" :# "We're All Born Free" * ''Nine Songs'',

1115, New York, 1973 :: Recorded at Sun Records Studio,

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

; reissued on CD in 2014 :# "Touch Me" :# "

How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" is an American folk song originally recorded on December 4, 1929, in New York City. It was written, composed, and performed by Blind Alfred Reed, accompanying himself on the violin. The song tells of ...

" :# "Hey Buddy" :# "One More River to Cross" :# " Sail Away" :# "Remedies" :# "I'm Just a Country Boy" :# "Brownsville" :# "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" Appearances ''Spades/Slades'' * ''The Domino Records Story'', Ace Records CDCHD 506, 1998 - "Baby", "You Mean Everything To Me", "The Waddle", "You Cheated", "Right Here", "After You've Gone", "No Time", "You Gambled", "I Cheated", "Just You", "It's Better To Love", "Summertime", "You Must Try", "It's Your Turn", "Take My Heart", plus previously unreleased tracks "So Tough", "Little Star", "I've Had It", "In The Still Of The Night", "Ling-Ting-Tong", "Gee Whiz" * ''Rockin' Rollin' Vocal Groups, Volume 1'', Cham 181177, 1980 - "The Waddle" * ''Rock-A-Billy Boppin, White Label WLP8842, 1982 - "The Waddle" * ''Give That Love To

Ray Campi Raymond Charles Campi (April 20, 1934 – March 11, 2021) was an American singer and musician, nicknamed "The King of Rockabilly". He first recorded in the mid-1950s. Campi's trademark was his white double bass, which he often jumped on top of an ...

'', Domino DLP-1001, 1987 - "You Cheated", "The Waddle", "No Time", "You Gambled" * ''Fabulous Flips, Volume 3'', Ace Records, 1995 - "The Waddle" ''Bobby Doyle Three'' * ''Kenny Rogers - Through The Years: A Retrospective'',

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

8331832, 1999 - "Don't Feel Rained On", "

Fly Me to the Moon "Fly Me to the Moon", originally titled "In Other Words", is a song written in 1954 by Bart Howard. The first recording of the song was made in 1954 by Kaye Ballard. Frank Sinatra's 1964 version was closely associated with the Apollo missions ...

", "

" ''Bobby Doyle'' * ''

'' soundtrack, Amos Records AAS8002, 1971 - "The Girl Done Got It Together" * ''At The Rockhouse Volume 8'', Eagle Records LP 318 (Germany), 1983 - "Hot Seat" * ''Teenage Favorites'', Anima Records, 1994 - "Hot Seat" * ''Rock Pretty Baby Volume 3'', Little Miss Sheena Records, 1997 - "Hot Seat" * ''Rock Til You Drop!'', Classics Records (Sweden), 2002 - "Chug-A-Lug" * '' Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel'', 2009 - "

" (recorded 1969) – images YouTube. * ''Teen Scene! Vol. 5'', Buffalo Bop Records 55015 (Germany), 2009 - "Pauline" * ''Back Beat Presents - Rock and Roll Party'', Lesley Records, 2013 - "Pauline" * ''The Texas Box - 1950s and 1960s Oddball Labels'', Be! Sharp Records, 2013 - "Hot Seat", "Chug-A-Lug"

Honors

* The State of Texas read and adopted Senate Resolution No. 323 during its 74th Regular Session on February 27, 1995, commending the life and career in music entertainment of Bobby Doyle. The resolution was sponsored by then State Senator

Gonzalo Barrientos Gonzalo Barrientos Jr. (born 20 July 1941) is a former Democratic member of the Texas Senate representing the 14th District from 1985 to 2007. He was also a member of the Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is t ...

. tp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/74R/billtext/html/senate_resolutions/SR00300_SR00399/SR00323F.HTM Texas Senate Resolution 323, 74th Regular Session February 27, 1995

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doyle, Bobby 1939 births 2006 deaths 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers American blues singers American male songwriters American rock singers Ballad musicians Blind singers Blood, Sweat & Tears members Musicians from Austin, Texas Musicians from Houston Songwriters from Texas