Tommy Roe
| Tommy Roe | |
|---|---|
|
Tommy Roe in 1970 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thomas David Roe |
| Born |
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]
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. Although his style of music declined in popularity with the 1970s mass market, he 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.
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.
Partial discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| US | ||
| 1963 | Sheila | 110 |
| Something for Everybody | — | |
| 1964 | Everybody Likes Tommy Roe | — |
| 1965 | Ballads and Beat | — |
| 1966 | Sweet Pea | 94 |
| 1967 | Phantasy | — |
| It's Now Winter's Day | 159 | |
| 1969 | Dizzy | 25 |
| 1970 | 12 In A Roe | 21 |
| We Can Make Music | 134 | |
| 1971 | Beginnings | — |
| 1976 | Energy | — |
| 1977 | Full Bloom | — |
| 1990 | Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow | — |
Singles
| Year | Single (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated |
UK[5] | AU[7] | CAN[8] | U.S.[9] | GER | RIAA Certification[10] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | "Caveman" b/w "I Got a Girl" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Sheila" b/w "Pretty Girl" (Non-album track) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Sheila | |
| "I Got a Girl" b/w "Pretty Girl" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1962 | "Sheila" b/w "Save Your Kisses" (Non-album track) |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | Gold | Sheila |
| "Susie Darlin'" / | 37 | 13 | 21 | 35 | – | – | ||
| "Piddle De Pat" | – | 13 | 21 | – | – | – | ||
| "Rainbow" / | – | 82 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Town Crier" | – | 82 | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1963 | "Gonna Take a Chance" b/w "Don't Cry Donna" |
– | 78 | – | – | – | – | |
| "Everybody" b/w "Sorry I'm Late Lisa" (Non-album track) |
9 | 18 | 3 | 3 | – | – | Sweet Pea | |
| "The Folk Singer" b/w "Count on Me" (Non-album track) |
4 | 20 | 34 | 84 | – | – | ||
| "Kiss and Run" b/w "What Makes the Blues Want to Pick on Me" |
– | 77 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1964 | "Carol" b/w "Be a Good Little Girl" (Non-album track) |
– | 16 | – | 61 | – | – | 12 in a Roe: A Collection of Tommy Roe's Greatest Hits |
| "Come On" b/w "There Will Be Better Years" |
– | 42 | 23 | 36 | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "A Wild Water Skiing Weekend" b/w "Dance with Henry" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Oh So Right" b/w "I Think I Love You" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Party Girl" b/w "Oh How I Could Love You" (Non-album track) |
– | 7 | – | 85 | – | – | Sweet Pea | |
| 1965 | "Diane from Manchester Square" / | – | 84 | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Love Me, Love Me" | – | 84 | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Fourteen Pairs of Shoes" b/w "Combo Music" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "I'm a Rambler, I'm a Gambler" b/w "The Gunfighter" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Wish You Didn't Have to Go" b/w "I Keep Remembering (Things I Forgot)" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Doesn't Anybody Know My Name (Two-Ten, Six-Eightenn)" b/w "Everytime a Bluebird Cries" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1966 | "Sweet Pea" b/w "Much More Love" (Non-album track) |
– | 7 | 1 | 8 | – | Gold | Sweet Pea |
| "Hooray for Hazel" b/w "Need Your Love" (Non-album track) |
– | 28 | 2 | 6 | – | – | ||
| 1967 | "It's Now Winter's Day" b/w "Kick Me Charlie" (from Sweet Pea) |
– | – | 13 | 23 | – | – | It's Now Winter's Day |
| "Sweet Sounds" b/w "Moon Talk" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Sing Along with Me" b/w "Nightime" |
– | – | – | 91 | – | – | ||
| "Little Miss Sunshine" b/w "The You I Need" |
– | – | – | 99 | – | – | Phantasy | |
| "Melancholy Mood" b/w "Paisley Dreams" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1968 | "Dottie I Like It" b/w "Soft Words" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Sugar Cane" b/w "An Oldie But a Goodie" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1969 | "Dizzy" b/w "The You I Need" (from Phantasy) |
1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Gold | Dizzy |
| "Heather Honey" b/w "Money Is My Pay" |
24 | 9 | 6 | 29 | 23 | – | ||
| "Jack and Jill" b/w "Tip Toe Tina" (Non-album track) |
– | 27 | 10 | 53 | – | – | 12 in a Roe: A Collection of Tommy Roe's Greatest Hits | |
| 1970 | "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" b/w "Moontalk" (Non-album track) |
– | 5 | 5 | 8 | – | Gold | |
| "Pearl" b/w "Dollars Worth of Pennies" (from Dizzy) |
– | 60 | 17 | 50 | – | – | We Can Make Music | |
| "Stir It Up and Serve It" b/w "Firefly" |
– | 69 | – | 50 | – | – | ||
| "We Can Make Music" b/w "Gotta Keep Rolling Along" (from Dizzy) |
– | 87 | – | 49 | – | – | ||
| "Brush a Little Sunshine" b/w "King of Fools" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1971 | "Little Miss Goodie Two Shoes" b/w "Traffic Jam" (from We Can Make Music) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Pistol Legged Mama" b/w "King of Fools" (from We Can Make Music) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1971 | "Stagger Lee" b/w "Back Streets and Alleys" |
– | 92 | 17 | 25 | – | – | Beginnings |
| 1972 | "Sarah My Love" b/w "Chewing on Sugarcane" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Mean Little Woman, Rosalie" / | – | – | – | 92 | – | – | ||
| 1973 | "Working Class Hero" | – | – | – | 97 | – | – | |
| "Working Class Hero" (see above) b/w "Sun in My Eyes" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1975 | "Glitter and Gleam" b/w "Bad News" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Energy |
| "Rita and Her Band" b/w "Snowing Me Under" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1976 | "Slow Dancing" b/w "Burn on Love Light" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Energy |
| "Everybody" b/w "Energy" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Early in the Morning" b/w "Bad News" (from Energy) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album track | |
| 1977 | "Your Love Will See Me Through" b/w "Working Class Hero" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Full Bloom |
| 1978 | "Love The Way You Love Me Up" b/w "Dreamin' Again" (first pressings) "Just Look at Me" (later pressings) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1979 | "Massachusetts" b/w "Just Look at Me" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | |
| "You Better Move On" b/w "Just Look at Me" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1980 | "Charlie, I Love Your Wife" b/w "There's No Sun on Sunset Blvd." |
– | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1985 | "Some Such Foolishness" b/w "Barbara Lou" |
– | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1986 | "Let's Be Fools Like That Again" b/w "Barbara Lou" |
– | – | – | – | – | – |
Legacy
- Sheila's stage name was taken from the title of her first release, which was a French cover of the song "Sheila".
- In 1991, The Wonder Stuff and Vic Reeves released a cover of "Dizzy" that topped the UK Singles Chart.[11]
See also
- List of artists who reached number one in the United States
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- The History of Rock & Roll
- Where the Action Is
- List of people from Georgia (U.S. state)
References
- 1 2 Bill Dahl (1942-05-09). "Tommy Roe | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
- 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.
- ↑ The Billboard Book of Number One Hits - Fred Bronson - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
- ↑ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 118. CN 5585.
- 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 467. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ Rebeat Magazine: "Then and Now, “Everybody” Really Loves Tommy Roe – Part Two" by Rick Simmons April 29, 2015
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "Forum - Chart Positions Pre 1989 Part 4 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2014-05-14.
- ↑
- ↑ "Tommy Roe | Awards". AllMusic. 1942-05-09. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
- ↑ "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - January 31, 2014". RIAA. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 457. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- Official website
- Video of Roe performing in Palm Springs, California in 2002
- Mini biography at classicbands.com
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