Bobby G

Last updated

Bobby G
Birth nameRobert Gubby
Also known asBobby Gee [1]
Born (1953-08-23) 23 August 1953 (age 70)
Epsom, Surrey, England
Genrespop music
Occupation(s)Singer
Instrument(s)Vocals, harmonica
Years active1981–present
Labels RCA, Polydor, BBC Records

Bobby G (born Robert Alan Gubby, 23 August 1953), also known as Bobby Gee, is a member of pop group Bucks Fizz, best known for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and for achieving three UK number one hits with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982).

Contents

Early career

G was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. After leaving school at 14, he began working in a number of trades, the most significant of these being in construction. In his late teens he set up his own building business, based on the knowledge he had gained from his father, who was also a builder. [2] For much of the 1970s he worked in building and plumbing.

By the end of the decade, both businesses had failed, leaving him with heavy debts as well as having two marriages, both of which ended in divorce[ citation needed ]

In 1979, G decided to embark on a career in music and began touring pubs and clubs as a solo singer/guitarist. In 1980, G auditioned for a role in the West End musical Jesus Christ Superstar and became an understudy for the role of Pontius Pilate. [2] The musical had been running for eight years at the Palace Theatre and was then the longest running musical ever in the UK, but it closed the same year as G joined the cast. He then went on to perform as a resident singer in a local country club.[ citation needed ]

Bucks Fizz

In January 1981, G auditioned for a new pop group being put together by songwriter/manager Nichola Martin. The group was called Bucks Fizz and were to perform in that year's A Song for Europe contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". After another singer Stephen Fischer became unavailable, G was offered the job following further auditions.

Along with other members Mike Nolan, Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston the group went on to win the contest and on 4 April 1981 took part in the Eurovision Song Contest representing the United Kingdom. [3] [4] Bucks Fizz won the contest and the group were catapulted into overnight stardom. The song reached No.1 in the UK charts and sold four million copies worldwide.

Bucks Fizz began a career which saw them have many hits around the world over the next few years, notably so in Britain, where they became one of the biggest groups of the 1980s and scored many hit singles and albums, including two further No.1s "The Land of Make Believe" and "My Camera Never Lies". [5]

On 11 December 1984, while on tour in Newcastle, the group were involved in a coach crash. G received medical attention for whiplash injuries, but unlike other band members, was not seriously harmed. The accident gained much media attention including front-page headlines and television news reports. [6] [7]

The group continued on for the rest of the decade and scored their final hit in 1988.

Later Bucks Fizz

In 1990, Bucks Fizz became a three-piece (G, Nolan and Baker), and they continued to tour the country. Apart from a 1991 live album, no other recordings were made by the group.

Baker left the group in 1993 and around this time G largely took over the management of Bucks Fizz, employing two new members, Heidi Manton and Amanda Schwartz. In 1995, Nolan also left the group and so G became the only original member. G took on former Dollar star David Van Day as Nolan's replacement. [8]

Van Day was keen to record with the group, but G decided that this was not economically viable and was happy to continue touring. Unrest grew between the two and eventually after a show in the Falklands, Van Day sensationally quit the group. [9] G rapidly employed a replacement, while Van Day launched a rival group along with former member Nolan. Unhappy with the situation, G filed a lawsuit against this version of the group and attempted to gain the rights to the Bucks Fizz name. In the early 2000s, G took Van Day to court, but was initially unsuccessful. Eventually he won the right to perform in the only officially recognised Bucks Fizz, following Nolan's departure from the Van Day version. [8] In 2002, the debacle became the subject of a BBC2 documentary entitled Trouble at the Top , which saw interviews with both G and Van Day centring on their conflicting views. [10] [11]

In 2004, G performed once again with original members Nolan and Baker and later member, Shelley Preston as part of the Here and Now 1980's revival tour. [12] [13] This took in several arenas around the UK, but remained a one-off as G returned to his currently performing line-up. [14] He also briefly appeared alongside Nolan, Baker, Preston and original member Aston in the video for Comic Relief's 2007 single "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"

Members of Bucks Fizz continue to tour in two versions; one version consists of Mike Nolan, Cheryl Baker and Jay Aston as The Fizz, whilst the other contains Bobby G, his wife and two other singers as Bucks Fizz. [15] [16]

Solo career

G was keen to launch a solo career during the hit-making days of Bucks Fizz. In the end, only one single was released. This was the theme tune to BBC TV's Big Deal , which was released in 1984 and although only reached No.46, the song remained on the UK Charts for 12 weeks. [17] G also wrote and produced a number of songs for Bucks Fizz, none of these were released as singles, but became album tracks and B-sides for the group.

Further solo recordings were made but went unreleased until 2006 and 2008 when two compilation CDs of unreleased Bucks Fizz tracks, The Lost Masters included some of his solo work. [18]

Personal life

In the 1970s, G married twice and had a child by his first wife. In the early 1980s he divorced his second wife but subsequently continued in a relationship with her while fathering a second child in 1982. They split in the 1990s and G began a relationship with band member Heidi Manton. They married in 2000 and are still together. [19] They have a daughter. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Making Your Mind Up</span> Song performed and recorded by Bucks Fizz. British entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1981

"Making Your Mind Up" is a song by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was the winner of the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, representing the United Kingdom, and was composed by Andy Hill and John Danter. Released in March 1981, it was Bucks Fizz's debut single, the group having been formed just two months earlier. Following its win in the contest, the song reached No. 1 in the UK and several other countries, eventually selling in excess of four million copies. It launched the career of the group, who went on to become one of the biggest selling acts of the 1980s and featured on their debut, self-titled album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheryl Baker</span> British singer

Rita Maria Stroud, known professionally as Cheryl Baker, is an English singer and television presenter. She was a member of pop group Bucks Fizz, which won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and, for legal reasons, now performs under the name the Fizz. The group had 20 singles reach the UK top 60 between 1981 and 1988, including three number one hits with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982). Baker left the group in 1993. She had previously represented the UK at the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest as a member of the band Co-Co.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucks Fizz</span> English pop group (1981–2018)

Bucks Fizz were an English pop group that achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in December 1980 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston. They received attention for the dance routine which accompanied the song, in which the male members of the group ripped the female members' outer skirts off to reveal much shorter mini-skirts beneath. The group went on to have a successful career around the world, but the UK remained their biggest market, where they had three No.1 singles with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s. They also had UK Top 10 hits with "Now Those Days Are Gone" (1982), "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (1982), "When We Were Young" (1983) and "New Beginning " (1986). Bucks Fizz have sold over 50 million records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Aston</span> Musical artist

Jay Hilda Aston is a British singer and occasional songwriter. She was a member of the British pop group Bucks Fizz from 1981 to 1985. She was the youngest member of the group's original line-up, aged 19 when they won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest. During Aston's membership, the group had 12 of their 13 UK top 40 hit singles, including three number one hits. Since 2009, she has performed alongside fellow original Bucks Fizz members Cheryl Baker and Mike Nolan. The group used to perform under the name the Original Bucks Fizz but are now known as the Fizz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Nolan (singer)</span> Irish singer (born 1954)

Michael Nolan is an Irish singer who is best known as one of the four original members of the British pop group, Bucks Fizz, who now perform as The Fizz. He was born in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, but brought up in the UK, where he still resides. As a member of Bucks Fizz, he won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest and achieved 20 UK top 60 singles between 1981 and 1988, including three number one hits. He was a member of the group until 1996. Since 2004, he has been a member of the group The Fizz, along with other former Bucks Fizz members Cheryl Baker, Shelley Preston and Jay Aston.

<i>Bucks Fizz</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Bucks Fizz

Bucks Fizz is the eponymous debut studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 26 July 1981, it features their Eurovision-winning song "Making Your Mind Up" as well as the two follow-up singles "Piece of the Action" and "One of Those Nights". The album was produced by Andy Hill and released on RCA Records. Bucks Fizz has been re-released twice on CD, first in 2004 with bonus tracks and as a two-disc edition in 2015.

<i>Are You Ready</i> (Bucks Fizz album) 1982 studio album by Bucks Fizz

Are You Ready is the second studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 26 April 1982 and features the UK No. 1 singles "The Land of Make Believe" and "My Camera Never Lies" as well as the follow-up "Now Those Days Are Gone". It was produced by Andy Hill and released on RCA records. It was the group's most successful album. It went on to be re-released on compact disc three times between 2000 and 2015.

<i>Hand Cut</i> 1983 studio album by Bucks Fizz

Hand Cut is the third studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 1 March 1983 and features the UK top 20 hits, "If You Can't Stand the Heat" and "Run for Your Life".

<i>I Hear Talk</i> 1984 studio album by Bucks Fizz

I Hear Talk is the fourth studio album by the pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released in November 1984, the album featured the singles "Talking in Your Sleep", "Golden Days" and "I Hear Talk".

<i>Writing on the Wall</i> (Bucks Fizz album) 1986 studio album by Bucks Fizz

Writing on the Wall is the fifth and latest studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 24 November 1986 and featured the comeback top ten single "New Beginning ". It was their first and only album to feature then new member Shelley Preston and their only album released on Polydor Records. Despite the album being initially unsuccessful in the charts, it was re-released twice — first in 2004 and again in 2012, both times with different track listings. It was the group's final studio album until The Lost Masters series (2006–2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Land of Make Believe</span> 1981 song

"The Land of Make Believe" is a 1981 single by British band Bucks Fizz. It reached No.1 in the UK in early 1982 - the second single by the band to do so. The song was produced by Andy Hill with music by Hill and lyrics by ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. Despite the apparent sugar-coated style of the song, Sinfield later claimed it was a subtle attack on Margaret Thatcher and her government's policy at the time. "The Land of Make Believe" became a big hit across Europe in early 1982, topping the charts in Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland as well as the UK. The song was later covered by pop band allSTARS* for a 2002 single release.

Shelley Preston is a singer who is famous for being a former member of the pop group Bucks Fizz, when she replaced Jay Aston in June 1985. Her biggest hit as a member of the band was the 1986 track "New Beginning", which reached the UK top ten. She left the group in 1990. From 2004 to 2009, she was a member of the group The Original Bucks Fizz, along with former Bucks Fizz members Cheryl Baker and Mike Nolan.

<i>Live at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon</i> 1991 live album by Bucks Fizz

Live at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon is a live album released in 1991 by pop group Bucks Fizz. It was their first and only release with Jet Records.

<i>The Story So Far</i> (Bucks Fizz album) 1988 compilation album by Bucks Fizz

The Story So Far is a compilation album by British pop group Bucks Fizz, released in 1988. The album collects together 18 of the group's biggest hit singles spanning the years 1981 to 1988, including their three number ones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run for Your Life (Bucks Fizz song)</span> 1983 single by Bucks Fizz

"Run for Your Life" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was written by Andy Hill and Ian Bairnson and became the group's eighth consecutive top 20 hit in the UK. It featured on the group's third album Hand Cut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Town (Bucks Fizz song)</span> 1983 single by Bucks Fizz

"London Town" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was their first single not to reach the UK top 20, breaking a run of nine consecutive top 20 hits. The song was written and produced by Andy Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Hear Talk (song)</span> 1984 single by Bucks Fizz

"I Hear Talk" is a 1984 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz, written by Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield, the team responsible for the group's biggest hit in the UK, "The Land of Make Believe". It was also produced by Hill. Released as a single in December 1984, it is the title track from the group's fourth studio album. In 2010, the song was chosen as the first single by the Original Bucks Fizz in a live jazz-style reworking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fizz</span> British pop music group

The Fizz are a British pop music group formed in 2004 as a spin-off from the original group, Bucks Fizz. The core of the group consists of Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, who are all former members of Bucks Fizz and performed as OBF initially with Shelley Preston and then replaced by Jay Aston. The group then performed as Formerly of Bucks Fizz, and Bobby McVay later became a member in 2015, making the group a quartet, and then renaming as The Fizz until he left in 2018. To date, the group have released four albums, three of which have charted in the Official UK Albums Chart. Their 2017 album The F-Z of Pop reached No.25, becoming the highest-charting Bucks Fizz related album in 33 years. In 2018, Christmas with the Fizz was released. In 2020, Smoke & Mirrors was released, reaching number 29 in the Official UK Albums Chart and number 6 on the Official Sales Chart.

<i>The F–Z of Pop</i> 2017 studio album by The Fizz

The F–Z of Pop is a studio album by British pop group The Fizz, released in 2017. It is the second album by the group and the first by the four-member line up of Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston, Mike Nolan and Bobby McVay. Released in September, the album entered the UK albums chart at No.25, the highest chart position achieved by a Bucks Fizz line-up since the "New Beginning " single in 1986, 31 years earlier.

<i>Christmas with the Fizz</i> 2018 studio album by The Fizz

Christmas with the Fizz is a 2018 album by British pop group The Fizz. It is a festive-themed album, the group's first and was released in November 2018. The album features the line-up of Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, fourth member Bobby McVay having parted with the band earlier in the year. Christmas with the Fizz was produced by experienced hit producer Mike Stock.

References

  1. Ian Bairnson. "Bobby G versus Bobby Gee" . Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  2. 1 2 Barnes, Helen (26 February 2011). "Bobby G's Bucks Fizz comes to Epsom Playhouse". Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  3. Eurovision.tv. "Eurovision Song Contest 1981". Eurovision Song Contest . Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 19 May 2008.
  4. Eurovision covers. "1981 Eurovision" . Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  5. Official Charts. "Bucks Fizz Official Charts Company". Official Charts . Retrieved 4 December 2008.
  6. Nostalgia central. "Bucks Fizz biography" . Retrieved 10 October 2008.
  7. BBC. "Bucks Fizz – the band" . Retrieved 14 November 2008.
  8. 1 2 BBC (15 August 2002). "Bucks Fizz name dispute settled". BBC News. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  9. Trouble at the Top , BBC Television, 14 February 2002
  10. Off the Telly. "Trouble at the Top". Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
  11. Movie & TV database. "Trouble at the Top – Making Your Mind Up". Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2008.
  12. Bucks Fizz – the early years. "Here and Now Tour, 2004". Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  13. BBC (13 May 2005). "Bucks Fizz story refuses to go flat". BBC News. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
  14. Comedy kings. "Bobby G's Bucks Fizz on tour". Archived from the original on 24 July 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  15. North Wilts. "Bucks Fizz news article". Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  16. Bucks Fizz.co.uk. "Official website – gigs". Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  17. Discogs. "Bobby G – "Big Deal"". Discogs . Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  18. Ian Bairnson. "Bobby G – "I Want to Stay"" . Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  19. Official website. "Heidi Manton". Archived from the original on 15 October 2004. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  20. Official website. "Millie's page". Archived from the original on 11 February 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2008.