FULLER UP HOME GRIM REAPER PAGE CAUSES OF DEATH SEARCH BY NAME GET IN TOUCH SHAMEFUL  DISCLAIMER    Fuller Up The Dead Musician Directory Robert Wesley Troup, Jr.  Bobby Troup  February 7, 1999   Heart Attack Age 80 OBITUARY  BIOGRAPHY LINKS / MUSIC

OBITUARY 

NY TIMES          Bobby Troup, 80, 'Route 66' Songwriter           By THE AP LOS ANGELES -- Bobby Troup, a musician and actor who wrote the popular song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" and who played a neurosurgeon on the 1970's television drama  "Emergency," died on Sunday.  He was 80.   Troup sketched out the song in 1946 as he drove across the country to California, where he had dreams of making it big in music. He chose to travel on Route 66. As his song says: "If you ever plan to motor West: Travel my way, take the highway that's the best. Get your kicks on Route 66!" The song became a big hit for the King Cole Trio and was also recorded by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. Besides "Route 66," Troup also wrote and performed "Daddy," "The Girl Can't Help It," "The Meaning of the Blues," "Baby, Baby, All the Time" and "Lemon Twist." He also wrote songs for Tommy Dorsey and played the band leader in the 1959 movie, "The Gene Krupa Story."   In the NBC television drama "Emergency," which ran from 1972 to 1977, Troup played Dr. Joe Early, a neurosurgeon who donated his time to the emergency room, where he often cared for young patients. He also was host of the ABC television show "Stars of Jazz" in 1958 and had a minor role in the 1970 movie "M*A*S*H."             He is survived by his wife, Julie London, the actress and singer.     Mar. 1, 1999 Today's writing is about the BOBBY TROUP MEMORIAL held yesterday at the Moonlight Tango Cafe in Encino. It was wonderful, memorable, funny and sad. I learned so much more about Bobby that I have to share some of it here with you. I think when we lose a friend, whether it was a personal friend or a person who's work became our friend (like a favorite song does), it gives us pause, not only because of our sudden realization that our friend won't be there at our whim, but makes us also wonder how our own lives have been lived. There is usually much more to a great writer than just their writing. It takes a certain amount of "life force" and "soul" to generate great work artistically, and normally it doesn't start or stop with the art. Bobby was not only a world-class writer (Route 66, Girl Talk, Lemon Twist, The Three Bears, etc.) but an amazing man. He was salty, funny, caring, a great father, a talented actor (MASH, Emergency, etc.) and a bad boy in early years. Stories ranged from missed gigs, to first day meetings on the set of Emergency. Most touching were the stories of Bobby and Julie (London, his beautiful wife.) Many said "BobbyandJulie" as if they were one word, and that was the feeling of their life together. The most impactive speeches were given by the Montford Point Marine representatives who came to honor Bobby's service in the Marines. It seems that Captain Troup was the first white officer to be given command of an all black unit in Jackson, North Carolina. When Bobby came in, the men were living in tents, with filthy latrine conditions, and nothing anywhere to relieve the stress of their condition. (This was in the days where a black in Jackson had to cross the street or literally stand in the gutter while a white walked by.) Captain Troup took a "haul ass" attitude, and with the help of the men, created Quonset huts, new latrines, a nightclub, a basketball court and team, a boxing ring, a jazz band, an orchestra, and get this... he somehow maneuvered a friend to come and install a miniature golf course. Soon, the other (white) units (who had given an intolerable time to the unit before Bobby's arrival) suddenly wanted to come and hang out in their area. Those who spoke said that Bobby didn't recognize color... only soul. I can't tell you the number of local artists who paid tribute... I'll try to mention a few. Page Cavanaugh was WONDERFUL with his trio (including Al Viola, my apologies to the great bass player for missing his name), Jack Sheldon was irreverently funny (just as Bobby would have been), the legendary Rosemary Clooney flew in from Colorado to honor him with a version of "My Buddy". Actors Kent McCord and Kevin Tighe gave stirring recollections of his "Emergency" days, songwriting greats Ray Evans and Jack Segal recalled Bobby's love of songwriting and songs. I guess my concluding thought here is, appreciate those who touch your lives while you still might... we are all fragile and limited, and yet our powers reach so far in our art, let us combine our appreciation and love and ability to learn from and share with each other. We are all grinning up at you, Bobby. (Janet Fisher c.1999) ~ http://www.goodnightkiss.com/bobby.html

 

 

BIOGRAPHY

Date of birth: 18 October 1918, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA Date of death: 7 February 1999, Sherman Oaks, California, USA. Bobby Troup is not strictly a jazz performer but he has made several important contributions to the music. As a composer he has written "Daddy," "Snooty Little Cutie," "Baby, Baby All the Time," and the major hit "Route 66." Troup has long been a fine pianist (having a regular jazz trio in the 1950s), a personable singer (although some of his early records were overly mannered), and an actor, and during 1956-1958 he moderated a legendary television series (Stars of Jazz) that featured a who's who of jazz players. He also produced some best-selling records for his wife, Julie London. — Scott Yanow  AMG

 

 LINKS

http://www.goodnightkiss.com/bobby.html http://home.istar.ca/~townsend/_private/composer/Troup_Robert.htm http://www.autobahn.mb.ca/~gardners/BobbyTroup.htm http://www.emergencyfans.com/people/bobby_troup.htm