Bobby Caldwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bobby Caldwell
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Caldwell in 1976
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Hunter Caldwell |
| Born | August 15, 1951 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 2023 (aged 71) Great Meadows, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1968–2020 |
| Labels | |
Robert Hunter Caldwell (born August 15, 1951 – died March 14, 2023), known as Bobby Caldwell, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was famous for his soulful voice and for singing many different styles of music. These included R&B, soul, jazz, and adult contemporary.
Bobby Caldwell is best known for his hit song "What You Won't Do for Love". This song came from his first album, Bobby Caldwell, which sold millions of copies. Later in his career, he started singing classic songs from the Great American Songbook. He also wrote many songs for other famous artists. Today, many of his songs are still popular because hip hop and R&B artists use parts of them in their own music.
Early Life
Bobby Caldwell was born in Manhattan, a part of New York City. He grew up in Miami, Florida. His mom worked in real estate. One of her clients was the famous reggae singer Bob Marley, and Bobby became friends with him. Living in Miami helped Bobby hear many types of music. These included Haitian, Latin, reggae, and R&B music.
Bobby's parents had a TV show called Suppertime. He grew up listening to singers like Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. When he was 12, Bobby started playing the piano and guitar. He loved rock and roll, jazz, and rhythm and blues music.
Music Career
Bobby Caldwell was part of a band in Miami called Katmandu. They wrote their own songs and also played classic tunes. Bobby played many instruments and sang. When he was 17, he worked with the band in Las Vegas. After that, he moved to Los Angeles.
In the early 1970s, Bobby got his first big chance playing guitar for Little Richard. Bobby and his band later left Little Richard, and Bobby started his solo career. By 1977, he had spent six years playing in different bands and trying to get a record deal. In 1978, he finally signed with TK Records in Miami.
After recording songs for his first album, the record company told Bobby they liked it, but it needed a hit song. Bobby went back to the studio for two days and wrote "What You Won't Do for Love". TK Records was mostly known for R&B music, popular with African American listeners. The company decided not to show Bobby's face on the album cover. This was because they wanted people to think he was Black. When he toured with Natalie Cole, many people in the audience were surprised to see that Bobby was white.
"What You Won't Do for Love" became a huge hit. It reached the top ten on several music charts. Many artists have covered or used parts of this song. For example, Tupac Shakur used it for his song "Do for Love". Another one of Bobby's songs, "My Flame," was used by The Notorious B.I.G. for his song "Sky's the Limit".
After his first album, Bobby released Cat in the Hat (1980) and Carry On (1982). A song from Cat in the Hat, "Open Your Eyes," was used by J Dilla in Common's song "The Light". Artists like John Legend also covered "Open Your Eyes." For his album Carry On, Bobby played all the instruments himself. He also produced and helped mix the music. In 1983, Bobby released August Moon only in Japan. It was released in the United States later in the 1990s.
After TK Records closed, singer Boz Scaggs told Bobby to write songs for other musicians. Bobby wrote "The Next Time I Fall", which became a big hit for Amy Grant and Peter Cetera. He also wrote songs for artists like Roy Ayers, Chicago, and Neil Diamond.
In 1996, Bobby released Blue Condition. With this album, he changed from R&B to singing big band versions of songs from the Great American Songbook. These were songs made famous by singers like Frank Sinatra. Bobby even played Frank Sinatra in shows in Las Vegas. He continued to sing these classic songs on albums like Come Rain or Shine (1999) and After Dark (2014). In 2015, he worked with producer Jack Splash on an album called Cool Uncle.
Later Years and Passing
Bobby Caldwell passed away at his home in Great Meadows, New Jersey, on March 14, 2023. He was 71 years old. His wife shared the news the next day. She said that Bobby's health had been getting worse since 2017 due to problems from a medicine he took.
Music in Movies
Bobby Caldwell wrote and sang songs for several movies. These include "Educated Girl" for Back to School and "Take Me, I'll Follow You" for Mac and Me. He also recorded "Never Give Up" for the 1984 film Night of the Comet. His versions of big band songs were often used in movies because they cost less than the original recordings. You can hear his music in films like Simone (2001).
Besides a small part in the 1988 movie Salsa, Bobby also played Frank Sinatra. He performed as Sinatra in a musical show in Las Vegas called The Rat Pack Is Back from late 1999 to early 2000.
Popular in Japan
Bobby Caldwell was very popular in Japan. There, he was known as "Mister AOR." In Japan, "AOR" stands for "Adult Oriented Rock." This is similar to what is called Adult Contemporary music in the United States. In 1992, he won the award for Best Foreign Artist at the 34th Japan Record Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Bobby Caldwell para niños
