It was 45 years ago this week, actually it started back on July 10, that Bobby Lewis had the #1 hit with Tossin’ and Turnin’. It is one of the most successful hits ever on the Billboard charts. It was #1 for 7 weeks in a row. Mr. Lewis was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He moved to Detroit when he was adopted by a family there. As he got older he got into the music business by singing in local nightclubs. He became friends with Jackie Wilson and Mr. Wilson’s manager got him in touch with a record label in Chicago called Parrott Records. They signed him and he recorded some songs for them. Later back in Detroit he appeared on Soupy Sales local variety show. HE became a regular guest on the show. His friend Jackie Wilson was having great success in New York. Mr. Wilson and Bobby’s wife both urged him to go to New York. He did.
In New York many record companies turned him down. He met a group of white singers at the Apollo called the Fireflies. He gave them some encouragement to help calm their nerves. Three weeks later he went to Beltone Records. He liked the name because he once sang in a Gospel group called the Belltones. He asked for an audition and got one. When he sat down to play the piano he recognized one of the people there. Ritchie Adams the lead singer of the Fireflies. He found out that Ritchie had just been signed to the label. He sang some songs for Ritchie and Joe Rene the labels owner. Then Ritchie took out a song that he and Joe Rene had written. The song was Tossin’ and Turnin’. When he sang they knew that they found the right singer for the song. He was signed to the label and had a huge hit. He had two more hits with One Track Mind and I’m Tossin’ and Turnin’ Again when they made the lower part of the Hot 100 charts. After that Bobby disappeared from the charts forever.
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