Bobby Bare singer

Bobby Bare was born in Ohio, in 1935 as Robert Joseph Bare.    His father was a farmer, and as a young man he joined the army.  Just before he joined up, he wrote a song called All American boy, and had been trying to make a living as a musician.   
But his songs didn’t sell. 
After his hitch in the Army, he moved to Nashville, and was signed by Chet Atkins.  His first single was a “cheating song” called Shame on Me, which gave him a start.. but his next song was a big hit.  It was “Detroit City” by Mel Tillis, also known as “I wanna go Home”. A song about southern men who moved up North to Detroit after the war, to get jobs in the automobile industry but pined for their home.
Unlike many country singers, who write a lot of their own material, Bobby's own songs didn't ever seem to do very well. 
But he has a beautiful voice and a charming stage presence.  He has  an ability, like Johnny Cash, to make the songs sound as if they came from inside him even the ones he did not write.  He has worked very hard and had dozens of hits.  
In the 70's, he abandoned some of the sweeter, Nashville sound, and went a bit "outlaw country".. . He roughened his voice, wore jeans and  cowboy shirts. However, he was never one of the singers who made headlines because of outrageous behavior.
His hits included the folk song, "Four Strong Winds”,  by Ian Tyson...Tom T Hall’s cheating song “Margie’s at the Lincoln Park Inn”, and another poignant song called “ the Homecoming”, by Tom T Hall, and many more.  Another of his great songs was by Harlan Howard and Tompall Glaser “Streets of Baltimore”- another song about a man who leaves his southern home to work in a city…

Like the rock band, Dr Hook, he was close friends with Shel Silverstein and performed many of his songs, including the comic or outrageous songs.   These include Tequila Sheila,  Marie Laveau, “The Winner”, “Hippie and Redneck Romance” "Going back to Texas" and many more.   He also recorded a version of Dr Hook’s great hit, Sylvia’s Mother…

 In later life, he and 3 other singers, Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed, combined as “the Old Dogs” to do an album of Shel’s songs about the funny side of getting older.  They included “Cut the Mustard”, “Lord Ain’t It hard when it Ain’t”, "Couch Potato " and other racy songs.

He has been married since 1963,  to Jeannie, who joined his band as a singer.  They have children, including a son, Bobby Bare Junior, who is also a singer and song writer.

Bobby still sings and records, and in recent years he has produced some excellent work, including an Album called Darker than Light, which includes covers of Woody Guthrie’s works and a song by U2.  His voice seems as good as ever.