Bobby Nunn (R&B musician) facts for kids

Bobby Nunn
Berry Gordy and Bobby Nunn in 1984
Background information
Born	1952 (age 72–73) Buffalo, New York, United States
Genres	R&B, pop, funk
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	keyboards Vocals Bass guitar drums percussion
Years active	1970s–present
Labels	Motown, Gordy, Columbia, MCA, Sony, Death Row, Interscope, Daptone, A&M, Word, Virgin, Tommy Boy, RCA, So So Def, CCEG, MoDo, BRANJi Music.

Bobby Nunn (born in 1952) is an American R&B music producer, songwriter, and singer. He is well-known for his song "She's Just a Groupie," which was a top 15 hit on the US Billboard R&B charts. He also wrote and produced the Grammy-nominated song "Rocket 2U" for the group The Jets.

Bobby Nunn's Music Journey

Early Life and First Steps

Bobby Nunn was born in Buffalo, New York, USA. When he was a teenager, he learned many skills at MoDo Records. This studio was actually in the basement of his family's home! Bobby learned how to write songs, produce music, sing, play instruments, and even engineer sound.

He formed a duo called Bob & Gene with his childhood friend, Gene Coplin. They recorded songs for the Nunn family's own label, Mo Do Records. Some of Bob and Gene's songs were later used in movies like Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too, Our Family Wedding, and Different from Whom?. In 2011, Bobby and Gene were honored by being added to the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.

Working with Rick James

Bobby Nunn got a big chance to work with the famous musician Rick James. Bobby played keyboards and sang background vocals on some of Rick James's early recordings with Motown Records. This included the hit song "You and I" and many songs on Rick James's albums Come Get It! and Bustin' Out of L Seven.

Solo Career and Big Hits

After moving to Los Angeles, Bobby Nunn worked with Earth, Wind & Fire's Philip Bailey on the Splendor album. He also worked with Rick James again on The Temptations' Reunion album.

In 1982, Bobby Nunn released his first solo album with Motown, called Second to Nunn. He helped produce the album and wrote most of the songs himself. The album did well, reaching No. 148 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The main song from the album, "She's Just a Groupie," became a big hit. It reached No. 15 on Billboard′s R&B singles chart and No. 28 on the US Dance chart. Later, the chorus from "She's Just a Groupie" was used in Snoop Dogg's song "Groupie."

Bobby Nunn appeared on popular TV shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train to perform his music. His next album in 1983, Private Party, did not become as popular as his first. However, one song, "Don't Knock It (Until You Try It)," reached No. 65 on the UK Singles Chart in 1984. Another song, "Hangin' Out at the Mall," became a favorite in clubs and featured the singer Tata Vega. Bobby recorded a third album called Fresh in 1984, but it was never released.

Writing and Producing for Others

After leaving Motown, Bobby Nunn spent time writing and producing music for many other artists. He wrote "Long Distant Love" and "Welcome to the Club" for Philip Bailey's Inside Out album. He also wrote the hit song "Thank You" for Bailey's Grammy-winning album Triumph. In the late 1980s, Bobby Nunn wrote and produced the song "Rocket 2U" for the Jets. This song was a top 5 hit and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1988.

Recent News

In 2022, Bobby Nunn was involved in a legal matter with the National Football League (NFL) and NBC. This was because his song "Rocket 2U" was used during football games broadcast on NBC without permission. The issue was resolved in 2023.

Images for kids

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  Berry Gordy and Bobby Nunn in 1984