(April 30, 2020) It has been years since he was in the major spotlight, but he created an all-time song that virtually defined early 60s Rock and Soul. Today we say a sad goodbye to the great Bobby Lewis, who has died at age 97.
The Indiana native performed as a singer in Indianapolis with the Leo Hines Orchestra, but moved to New York to jumpstart a solo singing career. After a few minor releases, he hit paydirt in 1960 (at age 35) with “Tossin’ and Turnin’,” one of the defining songs of the era. It was a monster recording, topping the charts for nearly two months, and has been recorded by countless other acts over the years – but none bested Lewis’s original.
Lewis hit the chart again a year later with the hit “One Track Mind,” which landed in the top ten, but that became his last major release, as his label, Beltone Records, went out of business. Unfortunately, he was not able to rekindle his career well for his future label, ABC-Paramount.
Despite his limited recording period, Lewis reportedly continued to perform well into his 90s, and was adored by his East Coast audiences.
We only knew him for a couple songs, but what songs they were. Godspeed, Bobby Lewis. Thanks for getting us moving.
