Bob Rafkin | |
|---|---|
 Bob Rafkin 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Bob Rafkin |
| Born | (1944-03-30)March 30, 1944 |
| Died | May 2, 2013(2013-05-02) (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
Bob Rafkin (30 March 1944 – 2 May 2013[1]) was an American singer, songwriter and guitar player.
Rafkin was born in New York City in 1944. His musical career really took off when he moved to Greenwich Village in the mid-sixties. Here he metDavid Blue and together they formedThe American Patrol. During this period in the Village Rafkin also metPhil Ochs[2][3][4] andEric Andersen and he played on Andersen’s 1966 albumMore Hits from Tin Can Alley onVanguard Records and later on Phil Ochs’ legendary albumGunfight at Carnegie Hall.
Rafkin knewErik Jacobsen – the record producer for among others,the Lovin' Spoonful andTim Hardin – and in 1967 when Jacobsen moved to San Francisco Rafkin relocated there to work as a producer and session guitarist. In 1968 after breaking with Erik Jacobsen, Rafkin moved again, this time to Los Angeles. In 1972 he played on theDavid Blue[5] albumStories[6] and worked with producersLenny Waronker,Henry Lewy and Larry Marks. Rafkin was a session musician forThe Everly Brothers andGene Vincent.[7]In 1971The Byrds covered Rafkin’s song "Lazy Waters" on the albumFarther Along.[8][9] Around the same time Rafkin worked on NBC TV’sBJ and the Bear. His song "Ain’t Gonna Rain No More" was featured in the 1996 movieSpree.
In 1973 Rafkin played guitar on theTim Buckley albumSefronia and onAugie Meyers'sWestern Head Music Company onPolydor Records. By the mid-1970s Rafkin had enough of the pressures of the music industry and set up his own woodworking business. Rafkin moved again in 1991, this time to Florida, and started to release his own albums (see discography). In 1994 he won the Florida Guitar Finger Picking Championship. In both 1997 and 1999 Rafkin opened forWillie Nelson.
In 2002 and 2003 he toured the UK with country artist Annie Sims - after which Rafkin came to the UK every year performing as a solo performer. While on tour in 2011 Rafkin met UK songwriters Malcolm Barnard and Chris Godden, the start of a strong friendship. Their country rock band,Rocky and the Natives, performed and released Rafkin’s "Lazy Waters" in 2012 and the same year Rafkin joined them on several tour dates. In 2013 Rafkin played on theirLet’s Hear It For The Old Guys album.
In May 2013 Rafkin died following a struggle with cancer.[1]
