Hebb, Bobby
Sunny/bread 2016
No soul singer of the 1960s boasted the singular array of contrasting influences that Bobby Hebb brought to the table. Hebb came up primarily country in his hometown of Nashville, proceeded to immerse himself in the hip New York jazz and R&B scenes, and had his biggest hit in 1966 with the self-penned "Sunny," a pop classic and evergreen, a world hit and one of the most recorded songs of the century, too. "Sunny" broke out during the spring of 66, topping Cash Boxs pop charts and catapulting to #2 pop and #3 R&B in Billboard as it went gold. Suddenly Bobby was in high demand, appearing on ABC-TVs Where The Action Is and Bill "Hoss" Allens syndicated program The!!!!Beat. Hebb appeared as one of the preliminary acts on The Beatles last American tour that summer along with The Remains, The Cyrkle, and The Ronettes, playing huge venues that included Chicagos International Amphitheater and New Yorks Shea Stadium. Over in Great Britain, they could not get enough of "Sunny." In September of 1966, no less than three versions charted, Bobbys own followed closely by covers from a solo Cher and a homegrown Georgie Fame.