- Lobo (musician)
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Lobo Birth name Roland Kent LaVoie Born July 31, 1943 Origin Tallahassee, Florida, U.S. Genres Pop, country, folk Occupations Singer-songwriter Instruments Vocals, guitarist Years active 1961–present Labels Laurie, Big Tree, MCA, Lobo Records, Curb, Ponycanyon Records Associated acts The Rumours (Gram Parsons, Jim Stafford) Website www.fansoflobo.com Roland Kent LaVoie, better known by the stage name Lobo (born July 31, 1943), is an American singer-songwriter who was successful in the early 1970s, scoring several U.S. Top 10 hits, including "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo", "I'd Love You to Want Me" and "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend".[1]
Contents
Biography
Early career: 1960s
Born in Tallahassee, Florida, LaVoie was raised by his mother in Winter Haven, Florida with his six siblings. He began his musical career in 1961 as a member of a local band, The Rumours. The band included Gram Parsons and Jim Stafford, as well as drummer Jon Corneal, who later joined Parsons' International Submarine Band.
In 1964, while attending the University of South Florida, LaVoie joined a band called the Sugar Beats and met producer Phil Gernhard. He recorded a regional hit for the band, a cover of Johnny Rivers' song, "What Am I Doing Here".
During the 1960s, LaVoie performed with many other bands, including US Male, The Uglies, and Me and the Other Guys. It was in the latter band that he met musician Billy Aerts, who became a member of Lobo's touring band in the early 1970s and produced Lobo's comeback album in 1989.
Again working with Gernhard, his first solo record was released in 1969 on Laurie Records. It included the original tracks "Happy Days In New York City" backed with "My Friend Is Here".
Early 1970s
By 1971, LaVoie had started calling himself Lobo (Spanish for wolf). Gernhard was an executive for Big Tree Records, and the company released his first single, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo". The first major hit for the label, it reached number 5 in the US and launched a successful series of singles. The song also reached number 4 in the UK. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc in September 1971.[2]
His debut album, Introducing Lobo, followed that May. In June 1971 his second single, "She Didn't Do Magic", was released. In September of the same year, "California Kid And Reemo" was released, followed by The Albatross. When Big Tree Records merged with Bell Records, Lobo's second project album Close Up was never released.
Under the Lobo alias, he released Of a Simple Man in 1972, which included back-to-back U.S. Top 10 hits, including "Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend", which reached number 8 in the US charts in the winter of 1973, and "I'd Love You to Want Me". The latter became Lobo's biggest hit, climbing to number 2 on the Billboard charts in 1972, and internationally reaching number 1 in Germany, and in the United Kingdom it peaked at No. 5 in July 1974. Another million seller it was granted gold disc status in November 1972.[2]
With the release of Calumet in 1973, Lobo had three more Top 40 hits: "It Sure Took a Long, Long Time," "How Can I Tell Her" and "Standing at the End of the Line." He made an appearance on American Bandstand that year. There were two further minor hit singles from the album, "There Ain't No Way" and in 1975 "Standing At The End Of The Line".
Mid-1970s–1980s
In June 1974 Lobo's fourth album, Just A Singer, was released. It was the first album by Lobo to contain tracks not written by Lobo. The only single from the album was "Rings". "Don't Tell Me Goodnight" in 1975 became his last Top 30 single for Big Tree. Lobo also released the album, A Cowboy Afraid Of Horses with "Would I Still Have You" released as a single. The label followed it up with a compilation album that year entitled "The Best of Lobo".
In 1976, Lobo broke away from Big Tree, releasing the album Come With Me in Europe on the Philips label. "At First Sight" and "It's Everywhere" were the singles. Neither were released in US.
1977 Lobo signed with Curb Records in 1977 releasing from the album the single "Afterglow", co-produced by Lobo and Gernhard and in 1978 "You Are All I Ever Need".
In 1979, Lobo was signed to MCA Records, where he worked with producer Bob Montgomery releasing the single "Where Were You When I Was Falling In Love", which reached #23. He also released his first US album in four years, Lobo. Other singles for Curb were "Holding On For Dear Love", "With A Love Like Ours" and "Fight Fire With Fire".
Reportedly dissatisfied with the production of his records, Lobo sought a release from his Curb contract. He moved to Nashville and in 1981 he started his own label, Lobo Records, and released several singles including "I Don't Want To Want You", written by his brother, Roger LaVoie, "Come Looking For Me" and "Living My Life Without You" charting in the country charts. He also released "Bull Smith Can't Dance the Cotton Eye Joe" with the group Wolfpack which included Narvel Felts and Kenny Earl.
Lobo Records became Evergreen Records in 1985. The label released two of his singles, "Am I Going Crazy" and "Paint The Town Blue", the latter a duet with Robin Lee.
1990s–2000s
Although far less followed in the United States, Lobo's popularity grew in Asia, fanned by the release of his greatest hits compilations in 1987 and 1988. This encouraged him to release in 1989, his first new album in 10 years, entitled Am I Going Crazy. It was recorded in Taiwan on UFO/WEA records and was produced by Billy Aerts. He signed a multi-album deal with PonyCanyon Records in Singapore, and in 1994 released Asian Moon, repackaging some of the tracks from Am I Going Crazy along with newly recorded marterials. His follow up album Classic Hits in 1995 were re-recordings of Lobo hits and some cover versions. in 1995. In 1996 he released the album Sometimes containing all new original songs.
On another Asian label, Springroll Entertainment, he released You Must Remember This in 1997, an album of pop standards that was released in two formats, one with vocals and the other with instrumental tracks.
In 2000, Lobo signed with a German record company, Gmbh Entertainment, and recorded a few tracks for various Hits CDs. He also co-wrote two Christmas songs with Billy Aerts, "A Big Kid's Christmas" and "Late Christmas Eve", which have been released on various Christmas compilations from 2000 to present. Singles recorded during this period include "Let It Be Me", "Who'll Stop The Rain" and "Different Drum".
In 2006, based on his Asian popularity, he toured in Southeast Asia.
In 2008 Lobo released Out of Time which featured old favorites and some new songs. A tribute album to the original era of the early Lobo recordings, was made available from the website Fansoflobo.com.
Discography (partial)
Albums
- 1971 Introducing Lobo (Big Tree)
- 1972 Of a Simple Man (Big Tree)
- 1973 Calumet (Big Tree)
- 1974 Just a Singer (Big Tree)
- 1975 A Cowboy Afraid of Horses (Big Tree)
- 1976 Come With Me (Philips)
- 1979 Lobo (MCA)
- 1989 Am I Going Crazy? (WEA/UFO)
- 1994 Asian Moon (Ponycanyon)
- 1995 Classic Hits (Ponycanyon)
- 1996 Sometimes (Ponycanyon)
- 1997 You Must Remember This (Springroll)
- 2006 Am I Going Crazy (CD reissue - Lobo Records)
- 2006 Come With Me (CD reissue - Lobo Records)
- 2008 Out Of Time (Lobo Records)
Compilations
- 1975 The Best Of Lobo (Big Tree)
- 1990 Greatest Hits (Curb)
- 1993 The Best of Lobo (Rhino)
- 1996 The Best of Lobo (Curb)
- 1996 I'd Love You to Want Me (Rhino)
- 1997 Me & You & A Dog Named Boo & Other Hits (Rhino)
- 2004 The Very Best of Lobo (WEA International)
- 2005 Introducing Lobo/Of a Simple Man (Wounded Bird)
- 2005 Platinum Collection
- 2006 Ultimate Collection (EMI) Malaysia
- 2006 Me & You & A Dog Named Boo & Other Hits (Collectables)
- 2007 Greatest Hits (Lobo Records)
Charted Singles
Year Single Chart positions US US
ACUS Country UK[3] 1971 "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" 5 1 — 4 "She Didn't Do Magic" 46 flip — — "I'm the Only One" flip 14 — — "California Kid and Reemo" 72 19 — — 1972 "A Simple Man" 56 17 — — "I'd Love You to Want Me" 2 1 — 5 "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend" 8 1 — — 1973 "It Sure Took a Long, Long Time" 27 3 — — "How Can I Tell Her" 22 4 — — "There Ain't No Way" 68 29 — — "Love Me For What I Am" 86 — — — 1974 "Standing At the End of the Line" 37 25 — — "Rings" 43 8 — — 1975 "Don't Tell Me Goodnight" 27 2 — — "Would I Still Have You" — 44 — — 1979 "Where Were You When I Was Falling In Love" 23 1 — — "Holdin' On For Dear Love" 75 13 — — 1981 "I Don't Want to Want You" — — 40 — 1982 "Come Looking for Me" — — 63 — "Living My Life Without You" — — 88 — 1985 "Am I Going Crazy" — — 57 — "Paint the Town Blue"(with Robin Lee) — — 49 — References
- ^ "Lobo Songs (Top Songs/Chart Singles Discography)". http://www.musicvf.com/Lobo.art. Retrieved 5-8-2011.
- ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 297. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 326. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
Vetovich, Sam. "Fans Of Lobo." The Back Bay. Kent LaVoie. <http://www.fansoflobo.com/>.
External links
Categories:- 1943 births
- Living people
- People from Tallahassee, Florida
- American male singers
- American pop singers
- American singer-songwriters
- Bell Records artists
- Musicians from Florida
- University of South Florida alumni
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