Shelzi - The Bobby Fuller Four (1960s Garage Rock)

Bobby Fuller was already an established recording artist in Texas when The Bobby Fuller Four was assembled in 1962. Fuller and his brother, Randy, decided to create a band with some of Fuller’s friends and old band mates from school.  While the band had regional success with their songs, “Your In Love” and “Gently My Love”, what they really wanted was to be signed to a major Hollywood label. Not many recording companies took interest in the band except for Del-Fi Records. The company, however, wouldn't sign them till they were more established. After hearing this, the band performed a cover of “I Fought the Law” and became a popular name in the blended folk, pop and rock styles with the cover of this song. Del-Fi took notice and ended up signing the band to their label in 1965. From there, the band wrote and released songs under Del-Fi’s sister label, Mustang. Finally, the band was reaching the success Fuller and his bandmates had wanted when they released their most popular chart topping hit, “Let Her Dance”.

However, in 1966, amidst rumors of the band’s dismantle after member Jim Reese was drafted, tragedy struck. In a still unsolved case, Bobby Fuller was found dead in the front seat of his car outside his apartment on July 18,1966 at just 23 years old. While some suspect the singer and guitarist took his own life, others argue that Fuller was murdered. After Fuller’s death, the band broke up and despite trying to get back together the following year, never again found the success in the industry as when Bobby Fuller was at the helm.

It is argued that, much like with famous folk/pop singer Buddy Holly, had Fuller not died so young and so early in his career, the face of pop rock music would not be the same. The British invasion was in full swing by the time the Bobby Fuller Four hit the scene but it was possible that if Fuller had not died that summer, the Bobby Fuller Four could have impacted and changed the 1960s sound with his unique musical styling. The band’s sound had a folk rock tone to it and Randy Fuller is quoted saying the Beatles could “never be able to do Buddy Holly-like Buddy Holly because they are not from Texas”, further cementing the parallels between the two careers and musical sounds and genres.

One reason I really enjoyed learning about this band is that there are a lot of curiosity and conspiracy theories around Fuller's death. Including one that argued that Bobby had dirt on the head of his record company and was using this information against Del-Fi records when a producer had him murdered. In 2015, author and known musical conspiracy lover, Miriam Linna, even wrote a book that discusses the life and death of Fuller entitled “I Fought The Law: The Life and Strange Death of Bobby Fuller”, which you can buy on Amazon if you’re super curious. https://www.amazon.com/Fought-Law-Strange-Death-Fuller/dp/1940157110

Below, I've included a video of a song I think a lot of people might know, “I Fought The Law”. I was surprised to find out this song originally came from the songwriter Stony Curtis from the band The Crickets but reached popularity when covered by the Bobby Fuller Four. I had heard many, many covers over the years from bands like Green Day and The Dead Kennedys but enjoyed the Bobby Fuller Four version just as much.