updated March 9th
Detective Naoya Yamauchi wrote in a while back with this:
ARC 12433
Nobody Knows You (When You're Down And Out)
"I am looking for information about the captioned singer who was based in Florida. As far as I know, Bobby was born in Washington DC and relocated to Florida and had been recording since the late 50s. He released several 45s and 3 LPs from Rew and R&R labels in 1975 or so. His last 45 was for the Nickelodeon label in North Carolina.
"I recently purchased this 45 which was released by the ARC (Another Record Co.) label in Georgia under the name of Bobby Williams. I was told by one man that this 45 was released in 1979... I asked some people about this Bobby Williams but no one seems to know much about him. It is not so far between Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida, so I am thinking that this Bobby on ARC label is maybe the same singer as the Bobby Williams from Florida, but I have no evidence."
As usual, neither do I, so I figured I'd open it up to the rest of you detectives out there... any ideas?
update:
Good ol' detective Dan Phillips weighed in with this:
"Hi, fellow obsessives. Long time no comment... been kind of busy hitting my own dead-ends! I have a question for Naoya. Was the Florida Bobby Williams the same guy who cut 'Funky Superfly' for Duplex Records our of Orlando, FL in 1973???? I've got a copy (not rare), and I think Grogan featured it years ago. Interestingly, it was produced by Clarence Samuels and Jimmy Liggins, who have historical significance in the blues and jump blues fields of the late 1940s and early 1950s. I am sure there is a good story there... Also, that Bobby Williams is not the same guy as the New Orleans drummer who worked with Eddie Bo and cut a couple of obscurities with his band, the Bobby Williams Group, in the 1960s..."
To which Naoya replied:
"Yes, The Florida Bobby Williams is the same singer who cut "Funky Superfly" for Duplex Records and one of his LPs released from R&R label was tittled "Funky Superfly" as well. Most of his 45s have been released in Florida. I know there are some Bobby Williams who are singer in Detroit, Chicago, etc. but I am looking for an information on Bobby in Florida and Georgia. Anyone?"
This just in:
"I recently got information from one of my Japanese friends that Bobby had released an LP on the ARC label which is attached hereto for
your reference... both songs on the ARC 45 are included on the LP, but I still do not know if he is the same as the Bobby Williams in Florida... I would appreciate it if you would post the LP image on Soul Detective so that someone may be able to provide me with new information on Bobby..."
OK, according to the very cool Greenville & Beyond website, all of the Southern records were cut by the same Bobby Williams (pictured at left). According to the site, "Robert Moore was born in South Carolina but raised in Washington DC. By the late 50s he was based in Orlando, Florida and proceeded to make a name for himself as Bobby Williams... As his music career wound up in the 80s, Bobby often worked as a chef back in Orlando before passing away in 1992."
Thank You, Naoya!
