Bobby Russell
| Bobby Russell | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 19, 1940[1] Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Died |
November 19, 1992 (aged 52)[1] Nicholasville, Kentucky, United States |
| Genres | Country, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1966–1973 |
| Labels | Elf, United Artists |
| Associated acts | Vicki Lawrence |
Bobby Russell (April 19, 1940 – November 19, 1992) was an American singer and songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he charted five singles on the Hot Country Songs charts, including the crossover pop hit "Saturday Morning Confusion." Russell was also married to singer and actress Vicki Lawrence from 1972 to 1974.
Career
Russell wrote many hits over quite a few genres, the most notable being "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", his critique of country justice (a #1 hit for his then-wife Vicki Lawrence, to whom he was married from 1972 to 1974);[1] "Used To Be" (from the 1970 film The Grasshopper); and "Little Green Apples", which won him a Song of the Year Grammy Award in 1968 from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He wrote the song "Honey", which was a hit for Bobby Goldsboro in 1968, spending five weeks at the top of the Billboard Pop Singles Chart.
Russell wrote the ballad "Do You Know Who I Am", which was recorded by Elvis Presley during his 1969 Memphis sessions when he also cut "In The Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds". Russell penned "The Joker Went Wild", a hit on Billboard Top 40 for Brian Hyland in 1966. Russell also penned "Anabell Of Mobile" for Nancy Sinatra. The Russell composition "Camp Werthahekahwee" appeared on a 1986 album from Ray Stevens. The song deals with summer camp and the eerie and bizarre surroundings a father alerts his son to prior to camp. The concept of the song deals with the inability of the natives to find their way home, so the natives set up their homes in the middle of nowhere after getting lost. The name of the camp, of course, is pronounced "where the heck are we?" and it was started by an Indian chief whose name also escapes the father.
As a performer
As a singer, his biggest chart was his self-penned "Saturday Morning Confusion", a top 25 country hit and No. 28 pop hit in the early fall of 1971. The song was a first-person account of a family man suffering from a hangover (after having partied with "the boys" the night before) and trying to find peace and quiet to sleep it off, but constantly being henpecked by the kids, wife and neighbors.
Other songs that Russell recorded himself were "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero", "For a While We Helped Each Other Out", "Our Love Will Rise Again", and "Mid American Manufacturing Tycoon". He also wrote and recorded "Summer Sweet" for the Disney live-action Rascal (1969) and wrote and sang the title song "As Far As I'm Concerned" over the opening credits of The Grasshopper.
Death
Russell died in Nicholasville, Kentucky of coronary artery disease, on November 19, 1992. He was 52 years old.[1]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | |||
| 1968 | Words, Music, Laughter and Tears | — | — | Elf |
| 1969 | Bobby Russell Unlimited | — | — | Elf |
| 1971 | Saturday Morning Confusion | 44 | 183 | United Artists |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN | CAN Country | CAN AC | |||
| 1966 | "Friends and Mirrors" | — | — | 22 | — | — | single only |
| 1967 | "Dusty" | — | — | — | — | — | Words, Music, Laughter and Tears |
| 1968 | "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero" | 64 | 36 | 35 | — | — | |
| 1969 | "Carlie" | 66 | 115 | — | — | — | singles and Bobby Russell Unlimited |
| "Then She's a Lover" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Better Homes and Gardens" | 34 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970 | "Our Love Will Rise Again" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1971 | "Saturday Morning Confusion" | 24 | 28 | 27 | 13 | 14 | Saturday Morning Confusion |
| 1973 | "Mid American Manufacturing Tycoon" | 93 | — | — | — | — | single only |