Robert Glynn Luman (April 15, 1937 – December 27, 1978) was an American country and rockabilly singer-songwriter.

Early life and career

Luman was born in

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, Texas, United States, though was raised in Nacogdoches, Texas. His early interest in music was influenced by his father, an amateur

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

, guitar and

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

player. Bob Luman received his first guitar when he was thirteen years of age. Luman attended high school in Kilgore, where the family had moved after young Bob's birth and started his first band while in high school. Luman had been a baseball star at his high school and tried out with the Major League Baseball

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, but when he did not make it in professional baseball, he decided to concentrate on his music. In 1956, he won a talent contest promoted by the Future Farmers of America, which earned him an appearance on the '' Louisiana Hayride''. For the ''Hayride'', Luman formed a backup band called the Shadows, including James Burton on guitar, James Kirkland on bass and

Butch White David William "Butch" White (14 December 1935 – 1 August 2008) was an English first-class cricketer, who played in two Test matches in 1961 and 1962. He played county cricket for Hampshire from 1957 to 1971, with a final season at Glamorgan ...

on drums. In 1957, the band signed with Imperial Records, where they recorded "All Night Long" (b/w "Red Cadillac and a Black Mustache") and "Amarillo Blues." That same year, the band appeared on the '' Town Hall Party'' in Los Angeles, and appeared in the movie ''

Carnival Rock ''Carnival Rock'' is a 1957 film directed by Roger Corman with musical performances by The Platters, David Houston, Bob Luman and His Shadows, and the Blockbusters. Plot A nightclub owner, Christopher 'Christy' Cristakos, falls in love with the ...

'', where they backed up David Houston. The following year, having been dropped by Imperial Records, Luman signed with

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 ...

, where he released "Try Me" and "I Know My Baby Cares." Capitol Records wanted Luman to change his name, which he refused to do, so he left the record label and signed with Warner Bros. Records, recording "Class of '59" and "Loretta." In 1960, Luman was inducted into the United States Army. It was while still serving in the Army Warner Bros. Records released Luman's best-known crossover hit, "Let's Think About Living," a novelty song that hit No. 7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100

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and No. 9 on the ''

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'' country music chart. It also reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. After leaving the Army in 1962, Luman moved to

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. On August 12, 1964, he married Barbara in Yuma, Colorado. In 1965, he joined the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

Later career

Luman toured frequently in the 1960s and 1970s, and became popular in Las Vegas, with an act which combined country and rockabilly. He signed with

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in 1968, and had several hits with them, including "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers" and "Still Loving You." "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers" became his biggest country hit, hitting No. 4 on the country chart. ( Steve Wariner, who had earlier been a member of Luman's band, later covered the song in 1984, and he, too, took it to No. 4 on the country charts.) Luman's other country hits included "Ain't Got Time To Be Unhappy" (1968), "Ballad of Two Brothers" (with Autry Inman, 1968), "When You Say Love" (1972), "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)" (1973), "Proud Of You Baby" (1975), and "The Pay Phone" (1977). Perhaps his most unusual song was a slow, soulful recitation of

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

's " I Still Miss Someone." Luman died of pneumonia in Nashville in late December 1978. He was 41 years old. After his death, Bear Family Records released several compilations of his songs, including ''More of the Rocker'', ''Still Rockin and ''Carnival Rock''.

Legacy

Luman is a member of both the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. His song “Lonely Women Make Good Lovers” was featured in the 1988 drama film '' Rain Man''.

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

Bob Luman's page at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luman, Bob 1937 births 1978 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in Tennessee People from Tyler, Texas People from Kilgore, Texas American country singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters Grand Ole Opry members Epic Records artists Hickory Records artists Imperial Records artists Polydor Records artists Sony Music Publishing artists Warner Records artists 20th-century American singers Singer-songwriters from Texas Country musicians from Texas 20th-century American male singers