bobby bare

Biography

Bobby Bare (born Robert Joseph Bare Sr. on April 7, 1935) is an American country singer and songwriter whose career helped bridge traditional country, folk storytelling, and the emerging outlaw sensibility. Raised in poverty in the river town of Ironton, Ohio, near the Kentucky and West Virginia borders, he lost his mother at age five and spent much of his youth working odd jobs while absorbing the sounds of the Grand Ole Opry and singing-cowboy heroes like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.[1][2][3][6] In the 1950s he moved through semi‑pro bands, early radio and TV work, and a handful of unsuccessful rock‑and‑roll singles for labels such as Capitol, even cutting the demo for “The All American Boy,” which became a hit when released under his friend Bill Parsons’s name while Bare was drafted into the U.S. Army.[1][2][3] After his discharge he continued to struggle until Chet Atkins signed him to RCA Victor in 1962, leading to hits like “Shame on Me” and “Detroit City,” the latter earning Bare a Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording and establishing him as a major country star.[1][2][4]

Through the 1960s and 1970s Bare developed a distinctive laconic vocal style and wry, literate song choices that drew on country, folk, and pop, helping to pioneer a folk‑country blend with songs such as “500 Miles Away from Home,” “Four Strong Winds,” and “Miller’s Cave.”[1][3][4] He moved from RCA to Mercury in 1970, scoring hits with early Kris Kristofferson compositions like “Come Sundown” and “Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends,” then later returned to RCA and subsequently recorded for Columbia and EMI America.[1][4][5] Bare became known for championing unconventional material, especially from songwriter Shel Silverstein, resulting in concept albums such as Lullabys, Legends and Lies and story songs like “Marie Laveau,” as well as children’s and novelty tunes that still carried strong narrative craft.[1][4] Between 1962 and 1983 he placed nearly five dozen singles on the country Top 40 and continued to record and tour into later decades, ultimately being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013 in recognition of his influence on both mainstream and outlaw country.[2][4][6]

Bare’s legacy rests on his role as a creative outlier within Nashville: he pushed for artistic control, experimented with horns and strings in country arrangements, recorded songs by Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, the Rolling Stones, and other non‑Nashville writers, and used his clout to help introduce artists like Waylon Jennings and Rosanne Cash to wider audiences.[1][4][5] Promoter Bill Graham once dubbed him “the Bruce Springsteen of country” for his blue‑collar narratives and crossover credibility, and Bare later hosted the songwriter‑focused TV series Bobby Bare and Friends on The Nashville Network in the 1980s, further cementing his reputation as a champion of songcraft.[4] In 1998 he formed the supergroup Old Dogs with Jerry Reed, Mel Tillis, and Waylon Jennings, underscoring his standing among the genre’s elder statesmen, and he remains regarded as a key link between classic Nashville country, folk storytelling, and the outlaw movement.[1][4][6][8]

Fun Facts

• Bare’s demo of “The All American Boy,” written about his Army draft notice, was released under his friend Bill Parsons’s name while Bare was in the service; it became a hit without initially giving him public credit.[1][2][3]
• He was among the first Nashville artists to use horns on a country record, convincing producer Chet Atkins to try the idea on “Shame on Me,” which helped launch his career at RCA.[4]
• Promoter Bill Graham reportedly nicknamed him “the Bruce Springsteen of country” in 1977 because of his blue‑collar storytelling and strong following among rock and college audiences.[4]
• From 1983 to 1988, Bare hosted the television show “Bobby Bare and Friends” on The Nashville Network, focusing on songwriters who performed and discussed their own hits.[1][4]

Associated Acts

• Old Dogs - original
• The Family

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Chet Atkins - RCA producer and label executive who signed Bare to RCA Victor in 1962, backed his creative ideas (including using horns and strings on country records), and oversaw his early country hits. (“Shame on Me,” “Detroit City,” early RCA singles and albums (1960s)) [1962–early 1970s]
• Gene Autry - Childhood singing‑cowboy idol whose films and music inspired Bare to imagine himself as a performing cowboy singer. (General influence on Bare’s early aspiration and stage persona rather than specific collaborations.) [1940s (Bare’s childhood) and ongoing stylistic influence]
• Roy Rogers - Another major singing‑cowboy hero Bare emulated as a boy, shaping his early love for country music and performance. (General influence on Bare’s childhood image of a country entertainer.) [1940s (Bare’s childhood) and ongoing stylistic influence]

Key Collaborators

• Shel Silverstein - Primary songwriting collaborator whose humorous and darkly comic story songs Bare recorded extensively, including major hits and concept albums. (“Marie Laveau,” “Daddy What If,” Lullabys, Legends and Lies, other Silverstein‑penned albums and tracks) [Early 1970s–late 1970s and beyond]
• Skeeter Davis - Frequent duet partner on two collaborative albums and multiple singles that blended their contrasting vocal styles. (Two duet albums for RCA; various duet singles in the 1960s) [Mid–late 1960s]
• Norma Jean and Liz Anderson - Trio partners on the hit “The Game of Triangles,” a dramatic narrative song that earned a Grammy nomination. (“The Game of Triangles” and related trio recordings) [1967]
• Rosanne Cash - Duet partner on a key early hit that helped raise her profile as an emerging country artist. (“No Memories Hangin’ Around”) [Late 1970s (recorded and charted around 1979)]
• Waylon Jennings - Friend and creative ally; Bare helped bring Jennings to RCA and later joined him in the Old Dogs supergroup. (Introduced Jennings to RCA; Old Dogs recordings and performances) [Mid‑1960s introduction; Old Dogs circa 1998]
• Jerry Reed - Bandmate in the Old Dogs project, combining veteran country stylists for a humorous, reflective album. (Old Dogs group recordings) [Late 1990s]
• Mel Tillis - Songwriter of Bare’s signature hit “Detroit City” and bandmate in Old Dogs. (“Detroit City”; Old Dogs recordings) [Songwriting link in early 1960s; Old Dogs in late 1990s]
• Lacy J. Dalton - Duet partner on country recordings, adding a contemporary edge to Bare’s later work. (Duet tracks noted in his later RCA/Columbia period) [Late 1970s–early 1980s]

Artists Influenced

• Waylon Jennings - Bare used his influence at RCA to help introduce Jennings to the label, supporting the rise of one of outlaw country’s central figures. (Jennings’s early RCA output, made possible in part by Bare’s advocacy.) [Mid–late 1960s]
• Rosanne Cash - Their duet “No Memories Hangin’ Around” is widely cited as one of her early breakthroughs, with Bare’s established stature helping bring her to country radio. (“No Memories Hangin’ Around” and Cash’s subsequent late‑1970s recordings) [Late 1970s–early 1980s]
• Outlaw and alt‑country artists (e.g., later singer‑songwriters influenced by his song choices and independence) - Bare’s insistence on recording outside writers (Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, the Rolling Stones), concept albums, and relaxed, story‑driven style helped expand what was acceptable in mainstream country, paving the way for later outlaw and Americana acts. (Concept albums like A Bird Named Yesterday and Lullabys, Legends and Lies; cross‑genre song choices throughout the 1970s.) [Influence most strongly felt from the 1970s onward]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. On The Road Again - Live
2. 500 Miles Away from Home (500 Miles Away From Home)
3. Marie Laveau (Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends And Lies (And More))
4. The Streets of Baltimore (Streets of Baltimore)
5. Detroit City (Detroit City and Other Hits by Bobby Bare)
6. Detroit City (Super Hits)
7. Abilene (500 Miles Away From Home)
8. The Winner (Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends And Lies (And More))
9. 500 Miles Away from Home (Super Hits)
10. Marie Laveau (Super Hits)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #country, #singer-songwriter