From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Fri Aug 16, 2002 1:16 am Subject: Born To Be With You : Bobby Mitchell BOBBY MITCHELL Born 16 August 1935, Algiers, Louisiana Died 17 March 1989, New Orleans, Louisiana Bobby Mitchell was an R&B singer with a powerful tenor-baritone voice and a style somewhere between his labelmates Fats Domino and Smiley Lewis. Considering the high quality of the material he recorded during the 1950s and early 1960s, one questions just why he didn't have more success. His records proved to be steady rhythm and blues sellers, though from the time he started recording for Imperial in 1953 until his last session a decade later on Rip Records, Bobby managed only one minor national hit (# 14 R&B), in 1956, with "Try Rock and Roll". In 1950, he formed a group, The Toppers, with four high school buddies. Dave Bartholomew was interested in just Bobby and not the group, but when Bobby balked at the idea of excluding his friends, Bobby Mitchell and the Toppers were all signed to Imperial Records in 1953. Although the Toppers' name would appear on Bobby's records until 1956, after 1954 he was a solo recording artist as far as Imperial was concerned. By 1957 Bobby had established himself as a strong regional artist. In that year he recorded the song that would most often be associated with him, "I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday" (later recorded by Fats Domino). The song was about as close as any black singer came to rockabilly. Although the disc never cracked the Hot 100, it was big enough to earn him a spot on American Bandstand. Imperial let his contract expire in 1958, after which Bobby made a handful of singles for small New Orleans labels, Ron and Sho-Biz. He entered Tulane University in 1962 and would later work as a medical school pathologist. In 1963, Imperial became interested in him again, releasing four sides. He bowed out as a recording artist later that year with an Eddie Bo- produced single for Rip. After that Bobby concentrated on raising his family of eight children and furthering his career in the field of medicine. He died of kidney failure at the age of 53. His complete recorded output is available on a 2-CD set, with LP-sized book: I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday (Bear Family BCD 15961).