Who is Bobby Sowell?

Answer 1

Good question.

Answer 2

Bobby Sowell is an American musician, pianist and composer.

He spent much of his early years playing rockabilly piano in the late 50's, playing organ in rock n roll bands in the 60's and playing piano in numerous country music bands in the 70's, 80's and 90's, a Mid-South Fair Winner in 1966. Bobby was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2002. He is included in a book, History of Memphis Bands, 1960-75 by Ron Hall. In 1994, he went out on his own as a solo artist. As a pianist and composer, Bobby has recorded 8 CDs, crossing just about all genres of music, from jazz, pop, rock n roll, honky tonk and blues to country music, gospel and easy listening.

Answer 3

Bobby's birth name is Robert G. Lee Sowell. He was named after a famous Southern Baptist preacher, Dr Robert G. Lee. When Bobby got drafted during the Vietnam War, he dropped the G and became Robert Lee Sowell. In music, his stage name has always been Bobby or Bobby Lee. Growing up in Memphis, Bobby had a lot of diversified musical influences. Early influences included Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Muddy Waters. But what really got his attention were the piano players of that day, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Roger Williams and Floyd Cramer. Bobby met Floyd Cramer when he was 16 years old and that experience really had a lasting effect on Bobby's music. On the family side, his Father played harmonica and piano by ear and his Mother sang, played the guitar and sung on the radio in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the 40's. They used to have regular family sing-a-longs, inviting area musicians to join in. During that time period, there was a strange new kind of music that was sweeping the country and it was actually born in Memphis at Sun Studio. It was called Rockabilly, later to be coined Rock n Roll. Those early Rock n Roll years, along with being subjected to the sounds of Rockabilly, Honkytonk, Blues, Gospel and his Mother's Country music really had an influence on Bobby's music creativity and can be heard in his music style throughout his career.


[edit] Early life
About the time Bobby was 12 years old, Honkytonk and Rockabilly music was really thriving in Memphis and he started playing in Bars and Night Clubs with much older musicians. They used to sneak him in the back door and hide him behind an upright piano where no one could see how young he was. Bobby also played a lot of Sock Hops and actually joined his first Band in 1959. The Band was called 'The Red Notes'. They were an all instrumental group. His Mom's house held many Jam sessions for area musicians back in the 60's. Most of the time, a street dance might have broken out. The neighborhood was rich in plenty of talent. Many successful professional musicians have come out of Frayser suburb of Memphis and Bobby has picked with most of them.


Las Vegas 1972Around the age of 16 another strange form of music was sweeping the USA. It was called the British invasion and Bobby once again had to adapt to a new kind of music, in which the organ was a more prominent instrument than the piano in that style of music. Bobby did pick up on the organ and since there were so few boys that played the piano anyway he suddenly became a sought after and very much in demand musician. He played in numerous groups in the 60's. In 1966 Bobby won the Mid-South Fair and was scheduled to appear on the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour on CBS Television, but before he could go there, he got drafted during the Vietnam War and his musical career was put on hold! After the war and a bout with Alcoholism, Bobby got back on the right track. He returned to his first love, the Piano, playing and recording Rockabilly, Country, Jazz, Memphis Blues and Gospel presented in an easy listening style piano format, be it hot and fast or smooth

Answer 4

A musician, pianist, and composer. Seems to be famous for "rockabilly music". Check out the link

Answer 5

You?

He's a musician with the Amazing Ryhthm Aces.