Robert James Byrd, known professionally as Bobby Day, was born on 1 July 1930 in Fort Worth, Texas. He was an American rock'n'roll singer, producer, and songwriter who began his music career after moving to Los Angeles in 1947 and performing at Johnny Otis’s Barrelhouse Club under the pseudonym Bobby Day. He co-formed the group Hollywood Flames, who recorded several singles under various names and labels before achieving success with "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz" in 1957. Shortly after, he released "Little Bitty Pretty One", though a cover version by Thurston Harris was more successful. His first solo single release was "Rockin' Robin / Over And Over", which became his biggest hit. "Rockin' Robin" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard R&B Charts in the summer of 1958. Additionally, "Over And Over" charted as well. Bobby Day collaborated with Earl Nelson to form the duo Bob & Earl from 1957-1959, with "Gee Whiz" arriving in 1960. He was later diagnosed with colon cancer and passed away on 27 July 1990 at the age of 60. His doo-wop style influenced many artists throughout his career; Dave Clark Five had a hit with "Over And Over" in 1965, and Michael Jackson covered "Rockin' Robin" in 1972.
