Bobby Gregg
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Robert J. (Bobby) Gregg (born 1929 or 1930 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a musician who has performed as a drummer and has also been a record producer. As a drum soloist and band leader he recorded one album and several singles, including one Top 40 single in the United States. But he is better known for his work as a drummer on several seminal 1960s songs, including Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound Of Silence”. He was also temporarily a member of The Hawks, which later became known as The Band.
Gregg first attracted attention by 1955 as the only white member of the otherwise all-black group Steve Gibson and the Red Caps. By 1962, he fronted Bobby Gregg and His Friends for a single, “The Jam - Part 1”, which reached #14 on the Billboard R&B chart and #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The B-side of the single was “The Jam - Part 2.” In 1963, he put out an album, released on Epic Records, called Let’s Stomp and Wild Weekend. In 1964 and 1965, he released the singles “Any Number Can Win”, “MacDougal Street”, “It’s Good to Me” and “Charly Ba-Ba”. He also acted as a record producer at this time, producing songs by Sun Ra, Erma Franklin, Richard Wylie and Frank Hunter. He sometimes played the drums on the records he produced.
In 1964, as an experiment, Bob Dylan’s producer Tom Wilson wanted to see what Dylan’s 1962 recording of “House of the Rising Sun” would sound like if the original solo acoustic guitar backing was replaced by a band playing electric instruments. Gregg was brought in to play drums on the replacement backing track.
Like A Rolling Stone” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound Of Silence”. He was also temporarily a member of The Hawks, which later became known as The Band.
Gregg first attracted attention by 1955 as the only white member of the otherwise all-black group Steve Gibson and the Red Caps. By 1962, he fronted Bobby Gregg and His Friends for a single, “The Jam - Part 1”, which reached #14 on the Billboard R&B chart and #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The B-side of the single was “The Jam - Part 2.” In 1963, he put out an album, released on Epic Records, called Let’s Stomp and Wild Weekend. In 1964 and 1965, he released the singles “Any Number Can Win”, “MacDougal Street”, “It’s Good to Me” and “Charly Ba-Ba”. He also acted as a record producer at this time, producing songs by Sun Ra, Erma Franklin, Richard Wylie and Frank Hunter. He sometimes played the drums on the records he produced.
In 1964, as an experiment, Bob Dylan’s producer Tom Wilson wanted to see what Dylan’s 1962 recording of “House of the Rising Sun” would sound like if the original solo acoustic guitar backing was replaced by a band playing electric instruments. Gregg was brought in to play drums on the replacement backing track.
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Cassmark added Bobby Gregg to their libraries. December 2010
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teesdale updated the wiki page for Bobby Gregg. (diff) September 2009
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teesdale updated the wiki page for Bobby Gregg. (diff) September 2009
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teesdale created the wiki page for Bobby Gregg. September 2009
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