Bobby Marchan

Oscar James Gibson, known professionally as Bobby Marchan, was born on April 30, 1930, in Youngstown, Ohio. He started his career as a female impersonator and formed the drag troupe Powder Box Revue during his teens. Bobby Marchan began performing in New Orleans nightclubs in the mid-1950s and released his first recording, "Have Mercy", produced by Cosimo Matassa for Aladdin Records in 1954. He joined Huey "Piano" Smith and His Clowns, contributing to hits like "Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (1957) and "Don't You Just Know It" (1958). In 1959, he left the band to resume his solo career. His biggest hit came in 1960 with "There's Something on Your Mind", which reached Number 1 on the national R&B chart. Bobby Marchan signed with Stax Records and Volt label, recording covers like "What Can I Do" before moving to Dial Records in 1965. His song "Get Down With It" was covered by Little Richard and reworked by Slade as "Get Down and Get with It", giving the band their first UK singles chart hit. Bobby Marchan continued his career with notable releases like "There's Something About You, Baby" and "Shake Your Tambourine" (1966). By the early 1970s, he returned to club work in New Orleans as a female impersonator and MC. He died from liver cancer on December 5, 1999, in Gretna, Louisiana.