From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Feb 21, 2002  1:10 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Bobby Charles
 
BOBBY CHARLES

Born Robert Charles Guidry, 21 February 1938, Abbeville, Louisiana

Singer, songwriter.
Bobby, a genuine French-speaking Cajun with a laconic laid-back voice,
began to write songs in his early teens. In 1955 he was signed by the
Chess label, where his first record was "See You Later Alligator"/"On
Bended Knee", released at the beginning of 1956, both sides his own
compositions. "On Bended Knee" is considered by many as the first
swamp pop record. Bobby's original version of "See You Later Alligator"
was swept away by a million-selling cover from Bill Haley.
This first single was recorded in New Orleans and it was not until Bobby
came to Chicago to record a follow-up that the Chess brothers found out
(to their amazement) that Bobby was white! That's how Bobby became
one of the first white artists to record for Chess. He had seven singles
released on the label in 1956-57, most of them with support from Dave
Bartholomew's band, but chart success was limited to two short-lived
entries in Billboard's R&B lists ("Later Alligator" was # 14 for 1 week
and "Time Will Tell" peaked at # 11.) Two years on Imperial (1958-59)
were followed by releases on small labels until 1965, after which Bobby
temporarily quit the record business, disillusioned with his treatment
by record companies.
As a songwriter he scored hits with "Walking To New Orleans" by Fats
Domino (1960) and "But I Do" by Clarence "Frogman" Henry (1961).
In 1972 Bobby made a comeback with the critically acclaimed album
"Bobby Charles" on Bearsville, with backing from Dr. John and members
of The Band. Sales were disappointing and Charles retreated once again
into his Abbeville hermitage to concentrate on songwriting. Albums with
new material followed in 1987, 1995 and 1998, but he remains determined
to live in isolation and is still very bitter about the treatment of musicians
in general, of songwriters in particular, and of Louisiana artists locally.

CD's: Bobby Charles, Louisiana R&B Man (Charly CDRB 31) includes
18 Chess tracks, previously (1984) issued on the LP "Chess Masters".
His Paula and Jewel recordings from 1964-65 were issued by Westside
on the CD "Walking To New Orleans" in 2000.
Website (includes discography):
http://www.din.or.jp/~hideki-w/bobbycontents.html