Bobby Fuller


Robert Gaston Fuller was an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for "Let Her Dance" and his cover of the Crickets' "I Fought the Law," recorded with his group the Bobby Fuller Four.

Early life

Fuller was born in Baytown, Texas, to Lawson Sheppard Fuller and Eva Lorraine Barrett Fuller, the middle of three boys, having a maternal older half-brother, Jack, and a younger brother, Randy. Fuller moved as a small child to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he remained until 1956, when he and his family moved to El Paso, Texas. His father got a job at El Paso Natural Gas at that time. It was the same year that Elvis Presley became popular, and Bobby Fuller became mesmerized by the new rock and roll star. Fuller soon adopted the style of fellow Texan Buddy Holly, fronting a four-man combo and often using original material.

Career

During the early 1960s, he played in clubs and bars in El Paso, and recorded on independent record labels in Texas with a changing line-up. The only constant band members were Fuller and his younger brother, Randy, on bass. These independent releases, and an excursion to Yucca Records, also in New Mexico, were recorded in the Fullers' own home studio, with Fuller acting as the producer. He even built a primitive echo chamber in the back yard. The quality of the recordings, using a couple of microphones and a mixing board purchased from a local radio station, was so impressive that he offered the use of his "studio" to local acts for free so he could hone his production skills.
Fuller moved to Los Angeles in 1964 with his band the Bobby Fuller Four and was signed to Mustang Records by producer Bob Keane, who was noted for discovering Ritchie Valens and producing many surf music groups. By this time, the group consisted of Fuller and his brother Randy on vocals/guitar and bass respectively, Jim Reese on guitar and DeWayne Quirico on drums. This lineup recorded "I Fought The Law".
At a time when the British Invasion and folk rock were the dominant genres in rock, Fuller stuck to Buddy Holly's style of classic rock and roll with Tex Mex flourishes. His recordings, both covers and originals, also reveal the influences of Eddie Cochran, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and the Everly Brothers, as well as surf guitar. Less well known was Fuller's ability to emulate the reverb-laden surf guitar of Dick Dale and the Ventures. His first Top 40 hit was the self-penned "Let Her Dance". His second hit, "I Fought the Law", peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 12–19, 1966. The song was originally written and recorded by Sonny Curtis, who became a member of Buddy Holly's former group the Crickets after Holly's death. The group's third Top 40 single was a cover of Holly's "Love's Made a Fool of You".

Death

Within months of "I Fought the Law" becoming a top 10 hit, Fuller was found dead in an automobile parked outside his Hollywood apartment. The Los Angeles deputy medical examiner, Jerry Nelson, performed the autopsy. According to Dean Kuipers, "The report states that Bobby's face, chest, and side were covered in 'petechial hemorrhages', probably caused by gasoline vapors and the summer heat. He found no bruises, no broken bones, no cuts. No evidence of beating." Kuipers further explains that boxes for "accident" and "suicide" were checked, but next to the boxes were question marks. Despite the official cause of death, some commentators believe Fuller was murdered.
Fuller was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. His death was profiled in a segment of Unsolved Mysteries.
His death was also explored in the May 11, 2015, episode of the NPR program All Things Considered. The program references the book I Fought the Law: The Life and Strange Death of Bobby Fuller by Miriam Linna, with contributions by Randy Fuller. Sometime after the Unsolved Mysteries segment in question initially aired, the cause of Fuller's death was officially changed from "suicide" to "accident".

In popular culture

New York City Celtic rock band Black 47 released a song titled "Who Killed Bobby Fuller?" on their second album, Home of the Brave, in 1994, and Atlanta indie rock band The Rock*A*Teens released an identically titled song on their 1996 self-titled debut album. Lou Reed referenced both Bobby Fuller by name and "I Fought the Law" on the track "Dirt" from his 1978 album Street Hassle, as did indie rock band Metric on their 2006 single "Monster Hospital". In 2013, producer and artist Terry Manning released a tribute album to his friend and mentor Bobby Fuller entitled West Texas Skyline. In 2016 the Austin band Holy Wave released the song "California Took My Bobby Away" about Bobby Fuller, featured on their album Freaks of Nurture. In 2017, Chuck Prophet released an album titled Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Celebrity Night at PJ's 5

Original US singles

  • "You're in Love"/"Guess We'll Fall in Love" 1
  • "You're in Love"/"Guess We'll Fall in Love" 1
  • "Gently My Love"/"My Heart Jumped" 2
  • "Nervous Breakdown"/"Not Fade Away" 2
  • "Saturday Night"/"Stringer" 2
  • "Wine, Wine, Wine"/"King of the Beach" 2
  • "She's My Girl"/"I Fought The Law" 2
  • "Fool of Love"/"Shakedown" 3
  • "Those Memories of You"/"Our Favorite Martian" 3
  • "Wolfman"/"Thunder Reef" 4
  • "Take My Word"/"She's My Girl" 5
  • "Let Her Dance"/"Another Sad and Lonely Night" 5
  • "Let Her Dance"/"Another Sad and Lonely Night" 5
  • "Let Her Dance"/"Another Sad and Lonely Night" 5
  • "Never to Be Forgotten"/"You Kiss Me" 5
  • "I Fought the Law"/"Little Annie Lou" 5
  • "Love's Made a Fool of You"/"Don't Ever Let Me Know" 5
  • "The Magic Touch"/"My True Love" 5
  • "The Magic Touch"/"I'm a Lucky Guy" 5
  • "It's Love, Come What May"/"It's Love, Come What May" 5
  • "It's Love, Come What May" /"Wolfman" 5

Compilations and reissues

The Bobby Fuller Memorial Album 5The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four 5KRLA King of the Wheels 5I Fought the Law 5The Bobby Fuller Memorial Album 5Let Them Dance 5Live on Stage 5I Fought the Law 5Live Again 5The Bobby Fuller Tapes, Volume One 2The Bobby Fuller Tapes, Volume Two 2Memories of Buddy Holly 2The Bobby Fuller Instrumental Album 2The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four 5The Bobby Fuller Four 5Live at PJ's...Plus! 5The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four 5The Bobby Fuller Four 5Shakedown! The Texas Tapes Revisited 2Never to Be Forgotten: The Mustang Years 5El Paso Rock: Early Recordings, Volume 1 2El Paso Rock, Volume 2: More Early Recordings 2The Mustang Years 5I Fought the Law and Others 5I Fought the Law: The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four 5 I Fought the Law and Other Hits 5 Rhino Hi-Five: The Bobby Fuller Four 5Rock And Roll King of the Southwest: The Best of the Texas Years 1962-64 2Bobby Fuller Live!!! 2El Paso Rock: Early Recordings, Volume 3 2Magic Touch: The Complete Mustang Singles Collection 5
1 Released as by 'Bobby Fuller / Guitarist Jim Reese and the Embers, Vocal'. Note: issued twice with the same catalog number, but with completely different versions of both tracks.
2 Released as by Bobby Fuller
3 Released as by Bobby Fuller and the Fanatics
4 Released as by the Shindigs
5 Released as by the Bobby Fuller Four