Bobby Day
Robert James Byrd (July 1, 1930 – July 27, 1990), known by the stage name Bobby Day, was an American rock and roll and R&B singer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record "Rockin' Robin", written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas. Biography. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, Day moved to Los Angeles, California, at the age of 15. His first recording was "Young Girl" in 1949 as "The Flames" released 1950 on the Selective Label. He went several years with minor musical success limited to the West  Coast. He recorded under numerous other names, as The Jets, The Voices, The Sounds, The Crescendos, including being the original "Bob" in the duo Bob & Earl with singer Earl Nelson. As a member of the R&B group the Hollywood Flames, he used the stage name Bobby Day to perform and record. His penned song, "Buzz Buzz Buzz" was the outfit's first and biggest success. In 1957, Day formed his own band called the Satellites, following which he recorded three songs that are seen today as rock and roll classics. Day's best known songwriting efforts were "Over and Over , later made popular by The Dave Clark Five in 1965, and Little Bitty Pretty One", popularized by Thurston Harris in 1957, Frankie Lymon in 1960, Clyde McPhatter in 1962, and the Jackson Five in 1972. However, Day is most remembered for his 1958 solo recording of the "Billboard" Hot 100 No. 2 hit, Rockin' Robin, written by Leon Rene under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold record. "Rockin' Robin" was a song covered by Bob Luman at Town Hall Party on October 28, 1958, The Hollies in 1964, Gene Vincent in  1969, Michael Jackson in 1972, and by McFly in 2006. In 2012–2013, his uncharted recording, "Beep-Beep-Beep", was the musical soundtrack for a Kia Sorento television commercial shown nationwide in the U.S. Day died of prostate cancer in 1990 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.