Bobby Russell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (1940-04-19)April 19, 1940[1] Nashville, Tennessee, U.S |
| Died | November 19, 1992(1992-11-19) (aged 52)[1] Nicholasville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Genres | Country,pop |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1966–1973 |
| Labels | Elf,United Artists |
Spouse | |
Bobby Russell (April 19, 1940 – November 19, 1992) was an American singer and songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he had fivesingles on theHot Country Songs charts, including the crossover pop hit "Saturday Morning Confusion". Russell was married to singer and actressVicki Lawrence from 1972 to 1974.[2]
Russell wrote hits over several genres. His most notable songs were "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia", his critique of country justice (a No. 1 hit for his then-wifeVicki Lawrence),[1] "Used to Be" (sung by Lawrence) and "As Far As I'm Concerned" (sung by Russell) both from the 1970 filmThe Grasshopper; and "Little Green Apples", which won a Song of the YearGrammy Award in 1968.[3] "Little Green Apples" was originally recorded and released byRoger Miller, who had the first Top 40 hit with the song. It was also a hit forO.C. Smith andPatti Page in the US in 1968.[3] The song was a particular favorite ofFrank Sinatra. Russell wrote the song "Honey", which was a hit forBobby Goldsboro in 1968, spending five weeks at the top of theBillboard Hot 100 chart.[4]
Russell wrote the ballad "Do You Know Who I Am", which was recorded byElvis Presley during his 1969 Memphis sessions.[5] Russell penned "The Joker Went Wild", a Billboard Top 40 hit forBrian Hyland in 1966.[6] Russell also wrote "Anabell of Mobile" forNancy Sinatra. The Russell composition "Camp Werthahekahwee", an ode to summer camps sung by a father to his son, appeared on a 1986 album byRay Stevens.[7] The name of the camp is pronounced "where the heck are we?"
As a singer, Russell's biggest chart success was his self-penned "Saturday Morning Confusion", a top 25 country hit and No. 28 pop hit in the early fall of 1971.[8] The song was a first-person account of a family man suffering from a hangover and trying to find peace and quiet to sleep it off, but constantly being henpecked by the kids, wife and neighbors.[9] Also penned and sung by Russell was 1974's "Go Chase Your Rainbow", his highest-charting entry in Australia.[10]
Other songs that Russell recorded were "Better Homes and Gardens", "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero", "For a While We Helped Each Other Out", "Our Love Will Rise Again", "How You Gonna Stand It", and "Mid American Manufacturing Tycoon".[3] He also wrote and recorded "Summer Sweet" for the Disney live-actionRascal in 1969[11] and wrote and sang the title song "As Far as I'm Concerned" over the opening credits ofThe Grasshopper.
Russell died inNicholasville, Kentucky, ofcoronary artery disease on November 19, 1992. He was 52 years old.[1]
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [12] | US [13] | |||
| 1968 | Words, Music, Laughter and Tears | — | — | Elf |
| 1969 | Bobby Russell Unlimited | — | — | |
| 1971 | Saturday Morning Confusion | 44 | 183 | United Artists |
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country [2] | US BB [8][14] | US AC [15] | AUS [10] | CAN [16] | CAN Country [16] | CAN AC [16] | |||
| 1966 | "Friends and Mirrors" | — | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | Non-LP tracks |
| 1967 | "Dusty" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Words, Music, Laughter and Tears |
| 1968 | "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero" | 64 | 36 | 9 | — | 35 | — | — | |
| 1969 | "Carlie" | 66 | 115 | — | — | — | — | — | Non-LP tracks |
| "Then She's a Lover" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Bobby Russell Unlimited | |
| "Better Homes and Gardens" | 34 | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Our Love Will Rise Again" | — | — | — | 64 | — | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "Saturday Morning Confusion" | 24 | 28 | 13 | 52 | 27 | 13 | 14 | Saturday Morning Confusion |
| "Goodbye" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972 | "Easy Made For Lovin'" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-LP tracks |
| 1973 | "Mid American Manufacturing Tycoon" | 93 | — | — | 82 | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | "I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Go Chase Your Rainbow" | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | ||
| 1975 | "Little Boxes" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
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