All contemporary photos: Alan Mercer
Bobby Patterson turns 75 on March 13, 2019. He is like many other Dallas-based blues musicians, he is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who continued the soul-blues tradition of people like Bobby 'Blue' Bland, Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. However, unlike some of these other singers, Bobby has worked in all aspects of the blues record business.
Bobby Patterson began performing when he was 10, playing guitar and drums. While still in his early teens, he formed a band called the Royal Rockers, who won talent contests in and around Dallas.
In 1957, one of the talent contests led to a trip to California to track a single for Liberty Records, which was never released. Bobby then went on to nearby Arlington College, where one of his classmates was the son of a local record company owner.
In 1962, Bobby recorded 'You Just Got To Understand' for Abnak Records. The single wasn't terribly successful, but it convinced the label's owner, John Abnak, to start a soul division, called Jetstar Records. Bobby recorded for Jetstar for the next six years, becoming a songwriter, producer and promotion man in the process.
In 1969, after a string of regional hits, Abnak Records folded, and Bobby Patterson recorded his own self-produced album. Shortly after that, he quit recording under his own name to produce and promote records made by other artists.
As a producer, Bobby has worked with Fontella Bass, Chuck Jackson, Ted Taylor, Shay Holiday, Roscoe Robinson, The Montclairs, Tommie Young and Johnnie Taylor.
Bobby Patterson's songs have been recorded by Albert King ('That's What The Blues Is All About') and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, who recorded and had success with his 'How Do You Spell Love?'.
Featured in a nine-page spread in Living Blues Magazine, Bobby Patterson was the Critics’ Choice for Most Outstanding Blues Singer for 2015!
As a Radio Personality, his 2-hour slot quickly grew to 3 hours by popular demand and through requests from his loyal listeners. Bobby’s show ran for 15 years. The Bobby Patterson Radio Show was voted “Best Radio Morning Show” in 2005 by The Dallas Observer.
When Bobby played the “Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival” in New York City, as usual Bobby astounded and pleased the sold-out crowd with his stage presence and overall high-spirited performance. In a letter of thanks and praise, the Lincoln Center manager, expressed how delighted and grateful she, Lincoln Center and the audience were with the show put on by Bobby and his band.
He also received rave concert reviews for Portland’s Pickathon, Dallas’ Homegrown Music Festival, South by Southwest, Smoked Festival and at a special performance for 91.7 KXT Barefoot at The Belmont as well as the headliner at the grand opening of the new location of the Texas Musicians Museum where he has been enshrined since 2004.
He has been interviewed by Scott Simon with NPR, CBS News DFW and various media outlets around the world. Countless stories and articles have been written and published about him.
His catalogs of music have been distributed throughout the world. His double album, “Best of Bobby Patterson” has been re-released 45 times. His fans have a real fondness for the lyrics and music; songs that exemplify Love, Life and Love of Life. Bobby has also released 3 indie records. Bobby Patterson songs have been recorded by Albert King, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Jeff Tweedy and others. In Northern England, he is treated like Royalty.
As Dallas Morning News critic Robert Wilonsky rightfully pointed out in 2014, “Bobby Patterson, whose body is 70 and whose voice still needs an I.D. to buy a drink, sounds today just like he did in the mid-1960s, when he was Dallas’ No. 1 soul Brother” He also wrote “When you hear it, you’ll know why!”
Alan Mercer: Bobby, are you from Dallas all your life?
Bobby Patterson: I am originally from East Dallas.
AM: Did you live in Dallas through your career?
BP: I did live in Atlanta for a year and in Shreveport for three years.
AM: Was this toward the beginning of your career?
BP: After I left Abnak records in the 60’s, I went to Jewel Records in Shreveport. I was writing, producing and recording for them. They even gave me my own label called Jet Star but we didn’t have the budget for promotion we needed.
AM: What label is the double CD, ‘Soul Is My Music’ from?
BP: That’s the Abnak stuff. That’s the very beginning and the Jewel recordings are from 1970, 1971 and 1972. II was writing and producing for Tommie Young and Fontella Bass and various artists.
AM: I notice your recordings stop after 1972 until the middle 90’s. Did you stop recording during those years in between?
BP: Yes, I was doing record promotion during those years. I was being a business man. I wanted to know both sides of the business.
AM: Did you miss recording during that time?
BP: Yes, I did. I had always planned to learn all I could about the business, so I learned the business side and then I came back and made more records, but this time on my own record label.
AM: I sure do love those early recordings. Where did you record them?
BP: When I first started in the 60’s with The Mustangs, we had a horn section. That was all recorded here in Dallas at Summit Studios. People thought those horns were recorded in Memphis.
AM: I love the video on YouTube of you and the Mustangs singing ‘Broadway Ain’t Funky No More.’ Was that made in Dallas too?
BP: That video comes from a TV show that (Long time Dallas DJ on KVIL) Ron Chapman used to have.
AM: There are some great videos on line of your more recent shows. You defy your age. You have the energy of a thirty-year-old.
BP: God has blessed me, and I’ve taken care of myself. That has a lot to do with my longevity. Some people in this business have stayed up late every night and taken too many stimulants.
AM: Did you avoid that path?
BP: Not entirely but I never did anything in excess. God has been good to me. I’ve done a lot of things and I got to travel all around the world. I found out that people know me better overseas than they do here in the United States.
AM: I have noticed that with many older artists. You are more revered in Europe that here.
BP: I was surprised to find that out, but people the people of Belgium and some other out of the way places really knew me.
AM: How old were you when you started performing?
BP: I started when I was fifteen years old.
AM: So, you’ve been doing this for sixty years. Did you ever perform when you were being a businessman, or did you stop that too?
BP: I only performed sporadically during that time.
AM: You seem like you really enjoy performing. Is that true?
BP: I do enjoy it.
AM: You must have missed not performing as much then?
BP: I learned to appreciate it when I stepped back from it for a while.
AM: You seem so grounded and smart Bobby.
BP: I give credit to my mother and father for my upbringing. They taught me that in the end, it’s all how you treat people.
AM: You must have met many famous artists.
BP: I met Michael Jackson when he was sixteen years old and Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross. We used to have conventions three times a year and everybody came. I partied with Millie Jackson, Lattimore, Johnny “Guitar” Watson and many more. Back then we really got to know people. I’m glad I worked on the performing end and the business end. That’s how I got to know these people on a personal level over the years. It was a good experience for me to be able to meet all these people.
AM: Can you tell me about Johnnie Taylor? You are very closely associated with him.
BP: He was one of my best friends. He was originally from Kansas City and moved here because Dallas was so receptive to him. I hired him to work at the Beachcomber on Lovers Lane. We got to be friends after that. He was a very down to earth person. We just hit it off. Even after he had hits, he never changed his personality.
AM: I love your version of his song, ‘Wall To Wall.’ You mostly just sing your songs, right?
BP: Yeah, I mostly do my songs, but I have recorded some songs by other writers when I was in Memphis. Most of my stuff has been recorded here in Dallas.
AM: You certainly helped put Dallas on the map. I notice a lot of your fans are young hipster sorts.
BP: Yes, they are recording a lot of my songs. Jeff Tweedy and Wilco recorded ‘She Don’t Have to See You’ and others have recorded “TCB or TYA.’ A lot of my old songs are being recorded. It makes me feel good.
AM: I love ‘How Do You Spell Love.’
BP: The Fabulous Thunderbirds did that one. They actually recorded that one twice. Also, I see Jimmie Vaughn play it al the time when I’m in Austin.
AM: You knew Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughn when they were just kids, right?
BP: They used to come and sit in with my band. When they were coming up and learning their craft, they would come by.
AM: You must have been pretty young yourself then.
BP: I was young, but I knew they were going to be somebody because they both had the drive and determination.
AM: Do you think drive and determination are more important than talent?
BP: No, I think they are equal. You have to have the drive to get into this business and then stay in it. This career requires a lot of sacrifice when you are coming up. I got to know a lot of people when they were very young.
AM: Does Soul music even exist anymore?
BP: It got lost in the shuffle. (Laughter) Hip Hop music hopped right over Soul.
AM: Recording is so different now.
BP: I call it manufacturing Soul. Now they just pull up a beat and then pull up a piano and pull up a horn. Nothing is real anymore.
AM: And you can sure tell. You must have recorded live back in the day.
BP: It was all done live. We started on four tracks. If anyone made a mistake you started all over from the very beginning. Now people just loop it in. It’s just not the same thing.
AM: It really doesn’t take the same talent or skill anymore.
BP: Now everything sounds too perfect. It’s manufactured.
AM: I love hearing an off note once in a while.
BP: Yes, it makes the music sound alive. Now I can’t even understand what they are singing. It used to be very important to us to concentrate on the lyrics so we could be understood.
AM: That’s because lyrics used to tell stories.
BP: Yes, we were storytellers. We took pride in telling stories in two and a half minutes from beginning to end.
AM: A lot of your songs run in this theme of women looking for money and men cheating on their women. Is that what you saw growing up?
BP: Yes, it was called observing life. That’s what life is about, whether people tell the truth or not. A lot of that is going on. I wrote a song about my daddy one time called ‘The Good Old Days’ and it had real lyrics. Now they just say the same lines over and over again. There’s no story telling.
AM: Are you going to try and record anymore?
BP: I don’t really know at this stage. I do have a song that I recorded eight years ago that has not been released. I would like to get it out. It’s an inspirational song.
AM: Do you have a strong faith?
BP: Ever since I was a child, my momma brought me up in the church. It wasn’t long before I found out the difference between religion and relationship. I have no problem doing what I’m doing in relationship to God, but religion means back to bondage. People in different denominations are in bondage but they don’t know it. Jesus has no denomination. When I got old enough to understand what the difference is. Some people tell me I am religious, but I am not religious, I just know the man. Jesus gave us the holy spirit when he left. You either have that spirit in you or you don’t. Everyone has a measure of faith but it’s up to you whether you develop it or not.
To learn more about Bobby Patterson visit his website https://www.bobbypattersonsoul.com/