Died On This Date (February 7, 1999) Bobby Troup / Popular Jazz Musician & Actor; Wrote “Route 66”
themusicsover Bobby Troup
October 18, 1918 – February 7, 1999
Bobby Troup was a producer, jazz pianist and songwriter who penned one of pop music’s most lasting songs. He was also an actor who is familiar to many for his starring role in the popular ’70s drama, Emergency!. He played Dr. Joe Early opposite his wife, Julie London. In 1946, he wrote “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66,” which was first popularized by Nat King Cole, and later recorded by the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Cramps, Depeche Mode, Tom Petty and the Replacements to name just a few. As a producer, Troup recorded future wife, London’s “Cry Me A River,” which sold over a million copies. Troup made several of his own albums during the ’50s and ’60s, and even though they are considered a vital part of the history of West Coast Jazz, they never sold significantly. Bobby Troup died of a heart attack on February 7, 1999. He was 80 years old.
What You Should Own
Although Julie London was a successful torch singer during the ’50s, she is perhaps best remembered for her role as nurse Dixie McCall alongside her husband, 
