Bobby Howard Byrd was an American rhythm and blues, soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, bandleader and talent dedicated, who played an integral and important part in the development of soul and funk music in association with James Brown.
20 Facts About Bobby Byrd
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Bobby Byrd was the founder of "The Flames", is credited with the discovery of James Brown, and claimed responsibility for writing most of James Brown's hits.
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Bobby Byrd was a 1998 recipient of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award.
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Bobby Howard Byrd was born in Toccoa, Georgia, to a religiously devout family, where they were respected members of the church congregation and active in their neighborhood.
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Bobby Byrd started being active in his local church choir with the gospel group, the Zioneers, later making a name for himself as member of the Gospel Starlighters, which included his sister Sarah.
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The original group consisted of Bobby Byrd, who played piano, organ and sang lead vocals, Nafloyd Scott, Fred Pulliam and Doyle Oglesby.
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In 1952 Bobby Byrd formed and sang with a gospel group called the Gospel Starlighters.
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Bobby Byrd befriended him and arranged for Bobby Byrd's family to oversee Brown's parole.
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Bobby Byrd were credited as songwriters on the Flames hit, "Lost Someone," though Brown was the only member who sang on the recording.
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The last Flames-associated recording to be released was the pre-funk soul hit, "Licking Stick - Licking Stick", to which Bobby Byrd contributed vocals without the other members, who had departed before Bobby Byrd did that summer.
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Bobby Byrd hired, on the spot and without rehearsal, Bootsy Collins, Bootsy's brother Catfish, and their band to fill in for Brown's former band after they left him before a gig.
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In 1964, Bobby Byrd recorded his first solo hit, "Baby, Baby, Baby" with Anna King.
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In 1971, when Brown signed with Polydor Records, he and Bobby Byrd formed the label People Records, and issued several records by other artists, including Bobby Byrd himself, who recorded the funk hit, "I Know You Got Soul".
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Bobby Byrd appeared onstage with Brown from 1970 until leaving his band again in 1973 due to a combination of issues, including uncredited compositions on some Brown hits, Brown's issues with singer Vicki Anderson, whom Bobby Byrd eventually married and remained with until his death, and wanting to start a family with Anderson.
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Bobby Byrd recorded the song "Back From The Dead" in 1975.
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In 1993, Bobby Byrd recorded a solo album, On the Move, on the German record Label, Soulciety Records.
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Bobby Byrd had three children with his first wife, Gail Harbin Bobby Byrd, in Toccoa, Georgia.
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Bobby Byrd died of cancer on September 12,2007 at the age of 73.
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Bobby Byrd was portrayed by actor Nelsan Ellis in the 2014 James Brown bio film Get on Up.
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In 2020, Bobby Byrd was posthumously inducted with the rest of The Famous Flames' members Baby Lloyd Stallworth, Bobby Bennett, and Johnny Terry into the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, some seven years after the induction of Flames lead singer James Brown into the same organization.