El Paso's Rock and Roll Legacy: The Bobby Fuller Four

       There's a game that my friends and I play on occasion. Actually, it's not so much a game as a rock and roll cultural exercise. The point is to name a city and then pick the local rock and roll figure---either band or solo artist---who most represents that city. For instance, Seattle would be represented by Nirvana, Boston by Aerosmith, New York City by Billy Joel, San Francisco by the Grateful Dead, and the whole state of New Jersey by Bruce Springsteen. Of course the list is open to disagreement, but you get the point.

        I'm currently living near Dallas, and as far as I'm concerned, our rock and roll face is worn by rock-a-billy rockers The Reverend Horton Heat. As for the rest of Texas, Lubbock's got Buddy Holly, Houston's got ZZ Top, Austin's got Stevie Ray Vaughn, and El Paso has the Bobby Fuller Four. I'm a fan of each of these artists, but my favorite is the Bobby Fuller Four.

        It's entirely possible that my affinity for the Bobby Fuller Four stems from a nostalgia for my youth in El Paso, Texas. And that's a valid reason. The music speaks to me. When I hear the song "I Fought the Law" I can't help but respond favorably to the sound that Bobby Fuller was able to coax from the guitars in his band. The sound is undeniably simple, yet it perfectly captures my impressions of a cool September afternoon in El Paso. And that's a good thing.

       Bobby Fuller became a music star in El Paso, playing in clubs and releasing singles locally. This was in the early 1960's. He had strong ambitions for his band's success, and toward that end built a studio in his parent's house to learn the art of recording. To gain experience, he volunteered his services to other local bands. Despite having only a small amount of equipment, the recordings he made are renowned for their quality.

        That Bobby Fuller was a fan of Buddy Holly is a given. The Bobby Fuller Four's sound was influenced by the bright and optimistic sound introduced to the world by Buddy Holly. It's obvious. Still, Bobby Fuller added important flourishes to flesh out the sound enough to call it his own.

        He took the sound to Los Angeles in 1964, and in December of 1965 the Bobby Fuller Four released the single "I Fought the Law" on Mustang Records. It reached #4 on the Billboard charts and established the band's place in rock and roll history. Let's face it, everybody knows that song.

        The next single released by the band was a cover of Buddy Holly's "Love's Made a Fool of You." I first heard their version when I bought a CD of "The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four" in 1990. The band really did a great job with this song. I've heard it at least a hundred times over the years and I've never gotten tired of it.

What I especially like about these two songs is that the instrumental break, normally filled with lead guitar, is instead filled with rapidly strummed chords that give the song an optimistic momentum.

        Unfortunately, Bobby Fuller's career was cut short. He died in June of 1966 under mysterious circumstances. He'd gone out on a date and in the morning his lifeless body was found in his car. He'd been beaten up and his body had been drenched in gasoline. The Los Angeles police initially considered the death to be a suicide, but later changed the report to "Accidental Asphyxiation."

        Strange.

        The mystery surrounding Bobby Fuller's death was discussed on the television show "Unsolved Mysteries." They were able to track down the woman with whom he'd spent the evening, but she had no answers for what happened to him after they'd said "Good-night."

        It's too bad. Bobby Fuller had the talent and determination to do great things with his music. Still, despite his early departure, he achieved a great deal. I listen to "The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four" often, and when I get to the last song I just have to nod and smile. The last song is called "Never to be Forgotten."

        Very cool.

        Peace!