Died On This Date (August 3, 2010) Bobby Hebb / Had Huge Pop Hit With “Sunny”

Bobby Hebb
July 26, 1938 – August 3, 2010

Bobby Hebb was a Nashville singer-songwriter who had a huge pop hit with “Sunny” in 1966.  No less an authority than Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) lists it at #25 on its list of the top 100 songs of the century.  “Sunny” is also one of the most covered songs in pop music history.  It has been recorded by James Brown, Del Shannon, Stevie Wonder, Nick Cave, and Frank Sinatra, to name a few.  Hebb’s first break came when he was still just a child.  After performing on a local television program, he landed a spot playing spoons behind Roy Acuff on the Grand Ole Opry.  He later sang back up on Bo Diddley’s recording of “Diddley Daddy.”  On the day following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Hebb’s brother, Harold Hebb was stabbed to death in a fight outside a Nashville club.  Those two events rocked Hebb’s world enough that he sought solace in his songwriting, which lead to the optimistic lyrics of “Sunny.”  The song soon became an international hit and helped land Hebb a spot opening for the Beatles on their U.S. tour.  He continued to release respectable hits over the years as well as pen a few for others.  Bobby Hebb was 72 when he passed away on August 3, 2010.

Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist.

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