Artist:Bobbi Martin
Song:For the Love of Him
Album:The Best of United Artists 1958-1972
Bobbi Martin was a nightclub singer who recorded in the 60s while appearing on TV. The 1969 single For the Love of Him was a top 20 hit and her biggest hit. I heard this song for the first time today and Bobbi sounds a lot like Jackie DeShannon. Soundalike hits are not as unusual as you might think. She was born Nov. 29, 1939 in Brooklyn, NY but she grew up in Oslo, MN. She never knew her father and Her mother refused to tell her anything about him. When her mom remarried, Oslo was her husband's hometown. Bobbi started out singing in nightclubs until she signed with Decca's Coral label in 1960. She had success mostly on the Adult Contemporary chart. Bobbi's 1964 single Don't Forget I Still Love You reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. She continued to have success on the AC chart. For the most part, Bobbi worked with producer Harry Jerome. He was a bandleader in the 40s. By the 60s he was head of A&R at Coral. When he left Coral in 1968 to be A&R director at United Artists, he took Bobbi with him. Bobbi continued to appear on nightclubs and on TV shows like Ed Sullivan. She continued to work with Jerome at UA and the 1969 single For the Love of Him reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it topped the Adult Contemporary chart. Bobbi and Jerome wrote the song and Jerome produced. Don Tweedy wrote the arrangement. As I said, it looks like Jerome was trying to make a record that sounds like Jackie DeShannon to fool listeners. You can get For the Love of Him on this various artists comp. Bobbi continued to have success on the AC chart until she and Jerome left UA in 1970 for Buddah Records. After a couple more albums, Bobbi retired to raise her family. She died on May 2, 2000 at age 60. Here's Bobbi Martin performing For the Love of Him on American Bandstand May 31, 1970.
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