Bobby Troup, born Robert Wesley Troup Jr., October 18, 1918, was an American jazz pianist, singer, songwriter, actor, and composer best known for writing the iconic song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” as well as “Daddy,” which became a hit for Sammy Kaye, and “The Girl Can’t Help It,” made famous by Little Richard; he was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
the son of Robert W. Troup Sr. and his wife, and after graduating from The Hill School in Pottstown, he attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, graduating in 1941 with a degree in economics while leading campus jazz bands, and soon after served as a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, where he wrote and performed music for morale-boosting shows before embarking on his professional career in the entertainment industry.
Discography
- Bobby Troup! (Capitol, 1953)
- Bobby Troup and His Trio (Liberty, 1955)
- The Songs of Bobby Troup (Bethlehem, 1955)
- Bobby Troup Sings Johnny Mercer (Bethlehem, 1955)
- The Distinctive Style of Bobby Troup (Bethlehem, 1955)
- Bobby Swings Tenderly (Mode, 1957)
- Do Re Mi (Liberty, 1957)
- Here’s to My Lady (Liberty, 1958)
- Cool Bobby Troup (Interlude, 1959)
- Bobby Troup and His Stars of Jazz (RCA Victor, 1959)
- Two Part Inventions for Trumpet with Benny Golson (Twig, 1970)
- In a Class Beyond Compare (Audiophile, 1981)
- Kicks On Route 66 (Hindsight, 1995)
- Makin’ Whoopee But Oh So Tenderly (Vintage Jazz)
- The Feeling of Jazz (Starline, 1994)
Compositions
- “Baby, Baby, All the Time” – Frankie Laine, Julie London, Nat King Cole, June Christy, Diana Krall
- “Bran’ New Dolly” – written and sung by Bobby Troup on RCA Victor (1949)
- “Daddy” – Sammy Kaye (1941), The Andrews Sisters, The Charioteers, Glenn Miller, Julie London
- “Girl Talk”, (Troup/Hefti) – Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, Holly Cole, Betty Carter, and Ben Sidran (with new lyrics by Sidran)
- “Hungry Man” – Louis Jordan
- “I See Your Bass Before Me”
- “I’d Like You for Christmas” – Julie London
- “It Happened Once Before” – The Four Freshmen
- “Jack ‘N Jill”
- “Jaded Joker Theme” – 1959 episode of Perry Mason, “The Case of the Jaded Joker”, co-star Frankie Laine
- “Just the Way I Am” – June Christy, Stan Kenton
- “Lemon Twist” – Stan Kenton, Billy May, John Pizzarelli
- “Let’s Keep Dancing” – Peggy Lee
- “My City of Sydney” (Troup/Leonetti) – Tommy Leonetti, XL Capris, Mary Schneider
- “Now You Know” – The Four Freshmen
- “One October Morning”
- “Out of the Shadows” – June Christy
- “Please Belong to Me”
- “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” – Nat King Cole Trio (1946), Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, Perry Como, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, Them, The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Page, Sandie Shaw and numerous others
- “Snootie Little Cutie”, (1941) – Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra featuring Frank Sinatra, Connie Haines, The Manhattan Transfer
- “The Feeling of Jazz” – words to Duke Ellington’s composition
- “The Girl Can’t Help It”, (1956) – Little Richard, the Animals, Bobby Vee, Cliff Richard
- “The Meaning of the Blues” – Julie London, Miles Davis (1957), Shirley Horn, Irene Kral, Buddy Rich, Michael Brecker, Keith Jarrett
- “The Three Bears”, (1946) – Page Cavanaugh Trio, Ray Ellington, Leon McAuliffe
- “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring” – The Four Freshmen, Jimmie Rodgers, The Beach Boys, Sue Raney, The Cyrkle
- “There She Goes”
- “This October” – The Four Freshmen, Julie London
- “You’re Looking at Me” – Nat King Cole, Don Fagerquist, Stacey Kent, Diana Krall, Cleo Laine, Carmen McRae, Jerry Costanzo
- “Walking Shoes” – words to Gerry Mulligan’s composition
He began recording for Liberty Records, acting in films such as The Girl Can’t Help It (1956) and M*A*S*H* (1970), and playing Dr. Joe Early alongside his wife Julie London on the NBC series Emergency! (1972–1978); his personal life included an early marriage to Cynthia Hare, with whom he had two daughters.
Movies
- M*A*S*H (1970)
- Number One (1969)
- Banning (1967)
- First to Fight (1967)
- The Gene Krupa Story (1959)
- The Five Pennies (1959)
- The High Cost of Loving (1958)
- Bop Girl Goes Calypso (1957)
- Mr. Imperium (1951)
- Duchess of Idaho (1950)
TV
- Simon & Simon (1981)
- The Rebels (1979)
- Emergency! (1972) (126 episodes)
- Fantasy Island (1977)
- Flying High (1978)
- The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977)
- Adam-12 (1968) (2 episodes)
- McMillan & Wife (1971)
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)
- The Name of the Game (1968)
- Mannix (1967) (2 episodes)
- Dragnet 1967 (1967) (4 episodes)
- The Big Valley (1965)
- Perry Mason (1959-1965) (3 episodes)
- Vacation Playhouse (1963)
- 77 Sunset Strip (1958)
- Sam Benedict (1962)
- Alcoa Premiere (1961)
- King of Diamonds (1961)
- Surfside 6 (1960)
- Acapulco (1961)
- Rawhide (1959)
- Markham (1959)
- Mr. Lucky (1959)
- The Bob Cummings Show (1955)
In 1959 he married singer Julie London, with whom he had twin daughters, and the couple remained together until his death, with London also caring for him in later years; Troup was honored as a respected figure in jazz and songwriting, although he received no major industry awards beyond the enduring popularity of his compositions,
and he died of a heart attack on Sunday, February 7, 1999, at age 80, in Sherman Oaks, California, survived by Julie London (who herself died the following year) and his five children, leaving behind a lasting legacy in American music and television history.
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia “Bobby Troup” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Troup
- Allmusic “Bobby Troup” https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-troup-mn0000240403#biography
- Discogs “Bobby Troup” https://www.discogs.com/artist/80847-Bobby-Troup
- IMDB “Bobby Troup(1918-1999)” https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0873757/
