Tommy Roe

For the English footballer, see Tommy Roe (footballer).
Tommy Roe

Tommy Roe in 1970
Background information
Birth name Thomas David Roe
Born (1942-05-09) May 9, 1942
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genres Rock and roll, pop, bubblegum
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1959–present
Labels Judd Records, ABC Paramount Records, Monument Records, MGM Records
Website www.tommyroe.com

Thomas David "Tommy" Roe (born May 9, 1942, Atlanta, Georgia)[1] is an American pop music singer-songwriter.

Best-remembered for his hits "Sheila" (1962) and "Dizzy" (1969), Roe was "widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of the late 1960s, but cut some pretty decent rockers along the way, especially early in his career", wrote the Allmusic journalist Bill Dahl.[1]

Biography

Roe was raised in Atlanta where he attended Brown High School.[2] After graduating, he landed a job at General Electric soldering wires.

He had a Billboard number 1 hit in the U.S. and Australia in 1962 with the track "Sheila". A buildup of global sales of "Sheila" meant that the R.I.A.A. did not present the gold record until 1969.[2] When "Sheila" became a hit, ABC-Paramount Records asked him to go on tour to promote the hit. He was reluctant to give up his secure job at GE until ABC-Paramount advanced him $5,000.[3]

However, in March 1963, the UK music magazine NME reported that he and Chris Montez had both been upstaged by The Beatles and their fans on a 21-day UK tour.[4] Late that year Roe scored a Top 10 hit with "Everybody", which reached US number 3 and UK number 9, and "The Folk Singer" (number 4 UK)[5] written by Merle Kilgore was also popular.

Following a more successful tour of the United Kingdom by his friend Roy Orbison, Roe toured there and then moved to England where he lived for several years. In 1964 Roe recorded a song written by Buzz Cason entitled, "Diane From Manchester Square." It was a story in song about a girl called Diane, who worked in an upstairs office at EMI House, when it was based in London's Manchester Square. Sales of this single in the UK were poor, and it failed to chart. During the 1960s, he had several more Top 40 hits, including 1966's number 8 "Sweet Pea" (number 1 Canada) and number 6 "Hooray for Hazel" (number 2 Canada).[2] In 1969, his song "Dizzy" went to number 1 on the UK Singles Chart,[5] number 1 in Canada, as well as number 1 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. This transatlantic chart-topper sold two million copies by mid-April 1969, giving him his third gold disc award.[2]

Roe guest-starred in an episode of the American sitcom, Green Acres, called "The Four of Spades", which first aired on 8 November 1969, one week to the day before the Hot 100 debut of his final Top 10 single, a track co-written with Freddy Weller, "Jam Up and Jelly Tight", which became his fourth gold record, peaking at number 8 in the U.S. and number 5 in Canada.[2]

Although his style of music declined in popularity with the 1970s mass market, Roe maintained a following and continued to perform at a variety of concert venues, sometimes with 1960s nostalgia rock and rollers such as Freddy Cannon and Bobby Vee. In 1986 Roe was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Personal life

A resident of Beverly Hills, California, he is married to Josette Banzet,[6] an actress from France who won a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Award for her performance in the 1976 television mini-series, Rich Man, Poor Man.

Discography

Main article: Tommy Roe discography

Legacy

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Bill Dahl (1942-05-09). "Tommy Roe | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 151, 210, 247 & 266. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  3. ↑ The Billboard Book of Number One Hits - Fred Bronson - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  4. ↑ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 118. CN 5585.
  5. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 467. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. ↑ Rebeat Magazine: "Then and Now, “Everybody” Really Loves Tommy Roe – Part Two" by Rick Simmons April 29, 2015
  7. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 457. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
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