Bobby Hebb - The tribute to the genius

Welcome to the news site for Bobby Hebb, an extension of www.BobbyHebbStudio.com. Check here for news updates about the recording artist who wrote and performed "Sunny", who co-wrote "A Natural Man", and who had hits with "Love, Love, Love" and "A Satisfied Mind." Bobby Hebb was one of the most gifted men of the 20th Century. His music is immortal and we will continue to bring the world information about this incredible man's work. Contact Editor Joe Viglione at hebb_project [@] yahoo.com

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Love Me BF 1541 304115 BF The third single from Bobby Hebb on Philips Written by Kenny Gamble and Jerery Ross

Produced by Jerry Ross, Arranged by Joe Renzetti, the team from the "Sunny" album, actually a re-write of "Sunny" where Ross invited Bobby to participate as a songwriter. Bobby declined, but he did record this gem (Bobby also declined "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" by Jay Proctor of Jay and the Techniques for it being a novelty tune. However, Hebb promised me before he passed that he would sing on the instrumental Ross had recorded for him, in the UMG vaults....we just didn't get to it in time.) Had "Love Me" been released on the heels of "Sunny," and had Bobby recorded "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" history would have been changed, possibly, and Hebb would have been a singles artist potentially.

There's a marvelous change at the 40 second mark, and Ross then adds some keyboard or xylophone magic at the 50 second mark, the backing vocalists on the chorus sure sounding like Melba Moore, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson from the Sunny album.

The time is 2:04, a perfect two minutes for radio in 1966 - back in 1964 Millie Small's "My Boy Lollipop" was 2:01, the Box Tops "The Letter" in 1967 was timed at 1:55, under 2 minutes, and 1968's Beatles flip of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da / I Will coming in at 1:45!!!! Bobby Hebb appeared on the 1966 tour with the Beatles

"Love Me" will be a bonus track on the 2026 proposed re-release of the Sunny album.

Bobby Hebb – Love Me Lyrics

Play "Love Me"

on Amazon Music Unlimited (ad)

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/4gV6udxJ0qa7AxawFVBaGc

YouTube https://youtu.be/m4vjNeZKYVs?list=RDm4vjNeZKYVs

Putting my liner notes for the SUNNY re-release

planned for Bobby's birthday July 26 (1938)...

"Love Me" should have been the 2nd single, not the third

Kenny Gamble of Gamble & Huff and Producer Jerry Ross

did a Sunny knock off. Bobby declined songwriting credit

though he deserved it. Bobby and Sandy Baron wrote

Lou Rawls' Grammy-winning "A Natural Man," and since

Gamble & Huff produced "You Want to Change Me" and "Dreamy"

for Bobby, and co-worked with Jerry Ross (and some of the Sunny

album songwriting) they should have picked Bobby up the way they did
Lou Rawls.

Hebb also had lesser hits with his "A Satisfied Mind" in 1966^[4] (No. 39 on the Billboard chart and No. 40 on the R&B chart) and "Love Me" in 1967 (No. 84),^[5] and wrote many other songs, including Lou Rawls' 1971 hit "A Natural Man" (co-written with comedian Sandy Baron). Six years prior to "Sunny", Hebb reached the New York City Top 50 with a remake of Roy Acuff's "Night Train to Memphis". In 1972, his single "Love Love Love" reached No. 32 on the UK charts.^[6]

Wikipedia Bobby Hebb - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Hebb

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/4gV6udxJ0qa7AxawFVBaGc

YouTube https://youtu.be/m4vjNeZKYVs?list=RDm4vjNeZKYVs

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/4gV6udxJ0qa7AxawFVBaGc

YouTube https://youtu.be/m4vjNeZKYVs?list=RDm4vjNeZKYVs

In 1969 Chuck Cockerham's Have I Got a Right uses "love me" as a refrain

You Tube: https://youtu.be/zfApw2qc_Go?list=RDm4vjNeZKYVs

https://www.discogs.com/release/13953481-Chuck-Cockerham-Have-I-Got-A-Right-?srsltid=AfmBOoqfne0-OBVZN4uSaSs3WaZXygrWj7fBEIQzaGjd5ZMymbo9XZTH

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

The Sunny Album Song by Song Where Are You, Track 2 on the original Sunny album

Where Are You, Track 2 on the original Sunny album

Where Are You?

Liner notes by Joe Viglione, 4:12 am St. Patty's Day March 17, 2026

https://youtu.be/a4avLOgtv1M

Sublime "Sunshine Pop" production from Jerry Ross, the master of the genre, this song was written the year before Bobby Hebb was born (in 1937, Hebb's birthday July 26, 1938.) Written for the film Top of the Town - composed by Jimmy McHugh, with lyrics by Harold Adamson, Mr. Hebb crossed musical boundaries, his 2nd hit being country - "A Satisfied Mind" (a #1 hit for Porty Wagoner 11 years earlier in 1955, which we will discuss later A Satisfied Mind by Porter Wagoner - Songfacts https://www.songfacts.com/facts/porter-wagoner/a-satisfied-mind )

That Bobby and his producer, Jerry Ross - along with arranger Joe Renzetti, craft something that would fit in with label-mate Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane of Spanky and Our Gang, as well as 98.6 Keith (James Barry Keefer) is a credit to their ingenuity and creativity. The Sunny album

and a follow-up non LP A side, "Love Me" (meants to sound like "Sunny", Wikipedia notes: Hebb also had lesser hits with his "A Satisfied Mind" in 1966^[4] (No. 39 on the Billboard chart and No. 40 on the R&B chart) and "Love Me" in 1967 (No. 84)

Bobby's voice at about 27 years of age in 1965/1966 is a man singing beyond his age, with the perfect voicings of Ashford and Simpson along with Melba Moore providing the back-ups. It would have been a great follow-up to "Sunny" with the up=tempo pop feel - the c & w of "A Satisfied Mind" perhaps too much of a jolt for 1966 radio, though "Sunny" did get some country action according to Kal Rudman's liner notes and A.I. in 2026: (No. 39 on the Billboard chart and No. 40 on the R&B chart)

"Where Are You?" displays Bobby's incredible interpretive skills - taking a song from the 30's and placing it in the 1960's without skipping a beat.

(from A.I.

Yes, "Sunny" by Bobby Hebb was successful on the country charts, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks and spending a total of 15 weeks on the chart. The song also reached #3 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and was a significant hit in various other countries.)

Lyrics on Spotify

Where Are You - song and lyrics by Bobby Hebb | Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/track/1CuGCguJeH7A4YbUOs2Bfa

"Where Are You?" is a popular song composed by Jimmy McHugh, with lyrics by Harold Adamson. The song was written for the 1937 film Top of the Town and was originally performed by Gertrude Niesen.^[1] Niesen also made a commercial recording of the song for Brunswick Records and this was popular.^[2]

"Where Are You?" has been recorded by many performers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Are_You%3F_(1937_song)

Where Are You

Songwriters: Jimmy Mc Hugh, Harold Adamson.

Sung by

Bobby Hebb

Where are you
Where did you go without me
I thought you cared about me
Where are you
Where is my heart
Where is the dream we started
I can't believe we parted
Where are you
When we say goodbye
What had we to gain
When I gave you my love
Was it all in vain
All my dream
Must I go on pretending
Where is my happy ending
Where are you
Where is my heart
Where is the dream we started
I can't believe we parted
Where are you
When we say goodbye love
What have we to gain
When I give you my love
Was it all in vain
All I knew
Must I go pretending
Where is my happy ending
Where are you
Oh Baby
Baby baby baybayyyy
Where are you

Songwriters: Jimmy Mc Hugh, Harold Adamson.

Liner Notes by Joe Viglione | JoeViglione.com

https://joeviglione.com/?page_id=392

Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny” (Philips 40365) has captivated generations with its immaculate melody and philosophy to always look at the bright side. Though many have speculated that Hebb wrote the song for God or for his brother and mentor, Hal Hebb, the singer has stated many times the tune is about a “sunny disposition.” And though this one title loved by millions led to Bobby touring with The Beatles in 1966 and brought the Hebb name to prominence, the eleven other performances on the album are also of great substance and filled with entertainment value.
“Sunny” became a #1 hit in Cashbox Magazine and #2 in Billboard the week of Bobby Hebb’s 28th birthday, July 26, 1966. Less than four months later track #7, “A Satisfied Mind”, would break the Billboard Top 40. The song was a #1 Country hit for Porter Wagoner eleven years earlier, but more important to Bobby, it was in the repertoire of Roy Acuff, the man called “the king of the hillbillies.” It was as a member of Acuff’s band that Hebb appeared on the Grand Ole Opry A third hit from the album, “Love Love Love”, was co-written by the album’s producer, Jerry Ross along with Joe Renzetti, the album’s arranger. “Love, Love, Love” (the flip side of “A Satisfied Mind) became a hit recording in England in 1972, six years after its initial release. The “Northern Soul” phenomenon started in Europe has also brought attention to this important work. “Crazy Baby” (Philips 40421) became a third release from the album with a brilliant non-lp B side co-written by the great Kenny Gamble and Jerry Ross, a song entitled “Love Me” which is a kind of second-cousin to “Sunny”, if you will.

Kenny Gamble composed “You Don’t Know What You Got Until You Lose It” with producer Jerry Ross, as essential as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s contribution on the album’s shortest track, “Good Good Lovin’ “, as vital as the legendary Van McCoy’s album closer, the elegant and Drifter’s-styled “For You.”

Though in the new millenium Mr. Hebb is still the “song a day man”, his vast repertoire was not tapped for the dozen tunes that appeared on his debut lp, in fact only “Crazy Baby” along with “Yes Or No Or Maybe Not” joined the classic “Sunny” as ideas from the singer’s fountain pen. And though “Love Love Love” and “A Satisfied Mind” have shown up on various compilations and continue to get attention, it is “Sunny” that has maintained classic status being awarded the #25 position on BMI’s Top 100 Songs of The Century. That organization credits “Sunny” with at least 5 million performances, wonderful acknowledgment for a composition that crosses genres and keeps finding chart action decade after decade. Cher and Georgie Fame had British hits with “Sunny”, while Mieko Hiroto actually charted in Japan with a version prior to Bobby Hebb’s rendition. Yambu found fame on the 1970s dance floors with this melody, as did Boney M. who hit #1 in Germany with “Sunny” in 1977. The Boogie Pimps sampled the Boney M. version in 2003 and hit with it in 2004..

Recorded by hundreds of artists from Vibraphonist Dave Pike to Frank Sinatra & Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Martino, Stan Kenton, Herbie Mann, Frankie Valli, Roger Williams and so many others, the song and this album have a secure place in popular culture. Hearing the composition as interpreted by others is fascinating and a treat, but it is Bobby Hebb’s original “Sunny” with backing vocals by his friends Melba Moore, Nick Ashford & Valerie Simpson that endures.

DID YOU KNOW? Thirty eight years after the world first discovered “Sunny”, Hip-O Select is releasing it the week of the birthday of the creator of this great song (coincidentally, a man born in 1938). Thirty Eight years to the week when Sunny hit #1 in Cashbox.

Saturday, November 22, 2025

Bobby Hebb at Emerson Inn By The Sea

Legendary Composer speaks in Rockport

by Joe Viglione

Songwriter Bobby Hebb gave a talk and performance on

Tuesday, May 13, 2003, at the Emerson Inn by the Sea

in Rockport, Massachusetts.

This was part of the "KnowYour Neighbor" series promoted by Leslie Wind which over the past two years has brought people of interest

from the Cape Ann area to the hotel. Bobby "broke all

attendance records" according to Ms. Wind, and the

singer whose song "Sunny" hit #1 in Cashbox in 1966

gave the audience fascinating bits and pieces of his

life while painting the stories with beautiful piano

lines before going into the full performance of a song.

He opened with Jimmy Van Heusen's "Here's That Rainy

Day" (one could see it was still cloudy outside in

this beautiful room overlooking the Atlantic Ocean)

and followed that with "I'll Do Anything For You" from

his 1970 Love Games album on Epic. It was a

biographical trip down memory lane a la Kinks'

frontman Ray Davies' evenings of stories and song, but

this was even more special as friends and neighbors

were up close and personal hearing about life on the

road with the "King of the Hillbillies", Roy Acuff, or

how Bobby learned the piano from his parents, both

blind people. Since it was a couple of days after

Mother's Day Hebb talked about roots, and was specific

that it was not a racial term but that he was talking

about the love we have for our moms and dads, our own

personal roots.

Scheduled to be a forty-five minute event, the

intimate and insightful chat ran from 7 PM to 8:30 in

the function hall outside of the dining room.

Bobby>talked about touring with The Beatles in 1966,

performing with Sylvia Robinson of "Pillow Talk" fame

-Hebb replaced Mickey Baker in the duo that hit with

"Love Is Strange" so Mickey & Sylvia became

Bobby & Sylvia - and the singer gave deep insight on

the creation of two legendary songs. He played his

original version of "A Natural Man" then went into the

tempo that won Lou Rawls a Grammy for his rendition of

that Sandy Baron co-write. Bobby also told the crowd

about the Broadway show he was writing with the late

comedian, Baron, embellishing his stories with runs on

the piano and more songs. The "Sunny" tale was, of

course, most interesting. Realizing at the end of the

evening that he had played only portions of "Sunny",

Bobby went back to the piano and played an exquisite

and lengthy version. It may be the only time he has

ever performed that song on piano in public. The #25

all time song of BMI, the Performance Rights

Organization, is always performed by Hebb on guitar.

The "Know Your Neighbor" series has included a

lecture by concentration camp survivor Will Schick, as

well as performances by the trio "John, JOsh &

Caroline" and author of "Avenging Annie" Andy Pratt.

Future dates in the series can be obtained by phoning

the Inn at 1-800-964-5550 or by e mailing Leslie Wind

Wind@cove.com .

Sunday, August 24, 2025

Enhanced photo of Bobby Hebb with the Remains August 18 1966 on the Beatles show at Suffolk Downs Revere/Boston MA

Enhanced photo of Bobby Hebb with the Remains August 18 1966 on the Beatles show at Suffolk Downs Revere/Boston MA https://joeviglione.substack.com/p/the-beat-article-on-bobby-hebb-and Rare photo of Bobby Hebb at Suffolk Downs August 18, 1966 on the Beatles tour, Barry and the Remains backing Bobby up on an extended version of "Sunny" Thanks to Erik Taros who worked on "Eight Days A Week: The Touring Years", the Beatles documentary directed by Ron Howard and the Peter Jackson Beatles' film GET BACK

https://joeviglione.substack.com/p/the-beat-article-on-bobby-hebb-and the Beat Article on Bobby Hebb and the Beatles

August 24 2025, 59 Years Later We Explore Bobby Hebb's work on the Beatles 1966 tour

The Beatles returned to the Shea Stadium in 1966. As George Martin said in Anthology: “Curiously enough the second Shea Stadium concert had about 11,000 seats unsold. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5W1LsKYV54xW7gd7D5CyfYj/the-beatles-record-breaking-gig-at-the-shea-stadium So it was a pretty unsettling time. And it was against this background that they said, 'Right, we definitely won't do any more. We are going to have a break and then we are going into the studio to make a record.'” The support acts this time round were equally stellar - The Remains, Bobby Hebb, The Cyrkle and The Ronettes. Sadly, the stadium was demolished in 2009 to make way for a car park.

But it was The Ronettes, The Cyrkle, Bobby Hebb, and The Remains who all can claim the title of the Fab Four’s most faithful supporting acts, claiming 14 appearances each during their 1966 North American US tour.

Who opened for The Beatles the most?

Callum MacHattie

Wed 6 August 2025 7:00, UK

But it was The Ronettes, The Cyrkle, Bobby Hebb, and The Remains who all can claim the title of the Fab Four’s most faithful supporting acts, claiming 14 appearances each during their 1966 North American US tour.

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/who-opened-for-the-beatles-the-most/

Join the Bobby Hebb Facebook PaGE https://www.facebook.com/groups/1760612917508950

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1760612917508950

https://www.amazon.com/Ticket-Ride-Extraordinary-Diary-Beatles/dp/0964645246/ref=sr_1_1#

The lead singer - BARRY TASHIAN - of the opening band - THE REMAINS - on the Beatles' last tour shares his tour journal, as well as never-before-seen photographs of The Beatles, first-hand accounts and much, much more.

Cincinnati and the Beatles / Bobby Hebb 1966 Schedule 18 shows in August of 1966 *Bobby Hebb and the other acts performed in Cincinnati on the 20th, the Beatles played the next day on the 21st due to rain.

The Beatles staged their third and final concert tour of North America in August 1966. It consisted of 18 performances, with 16 shows in United States venues and two in Canada.

*Bobby Hebb and the other acts performed in Cincinnati on the 20th, the Beatles played the next day on the 21st due to rain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles%27_1966_US_tour

Bobby did perform on the 20th of August in Cincinnati ....the Beatles performed the next day The support acts on The Beatles’ final tour – The Remains, Bobby Hebb, The Cyrkle, and The Ronettes – had all performed the day before, prior to the downpour beginning. The Beatles were the only act to play on this day, after which they flew 341 miles to St Louis, Missouri to perform an evening concert. https://www.beatlesbible.com/1966/08/21/live-crosley-field-cincinnati/

I missed out on the Cincinnati date as it was a rainout and a matinee was held the next day, correcting the info: The Beatles played in Cincinnati on August 21, 1966, at Crosley Field after a previous night's rainout forced the concert to be rescheduled. The noon performance was a matinee makeup show due to the initial August 20th concert being postponed because of a severe thunderstorm and the risk of electrocution from the wet electrical equipment on stage. This performance, along with a subsequent rainy show in St. Louis, contributed to Paul McCartney's decision for The Beatles to stop touring.