Bobby Fuller

Bobby Fuller

It's 1966 and a group out of El Paso, Texas calling themselves The Bobby Fuller Four are enjoying considerable success with their recording of "I Fought The Law". The song went all the way to number 9 on the national charts. A follow up record "Loves Made A Fool Of You" (a Buddy Holly cover) reached Number 26 on the charts. Then on July 18th, 1966, Bobby Fuller was found dead in his car, parked in front of his Hollywood apartment. His body was beaten and a gasoline soaked rag was stuffed in his mouth The Los Angeles Police Dept. called it a suicide. Those who knew the 23 year old singer, knew better. http://www.classicbands.com/MysteryofBobbyFuller.html In 1956, the Fullers moved from Salt Lake City to El Paso, where Bobby began attending Ysleta High School. In September 1957, he entered Burges High School as a sophomore and played in band and orchestra. Bobby returned to Ysleta in the fall of 1958. He was in ROTC, played drums for the school band (Randy played trombone) and was interested in journalism. His high school sweetheart was the envy of many girls mesmerized by Bobby’s green eyes. He transferred to Technical Center in 1959 and graduated from there July 29, 1960. He briefly studied music, with an emphasis on drumming, at North Texas State University. School bored Bobby, and his grades frequently slipped below average. As a teen-ager, he worked part-time at the Melody Shop in Basssett center and spent his free time flirting with girls and talking about guitars with musical cronies at the defunct Hilltop Oasis, El Paso’s leading hangout at the time. Bobby loved cars. His 1959 metallic blue Impala was one of the hottest dragsters on the East Side. He and other students occasionally congregated for hot rod races on Montana Street, near where Lee Trevino drive intersects today. They also gathered in front of Burges, where students carefully painted a quarter-mile strip, measured by counting the revolutions of a bicycle tire rolled along the asphalt. Light poles were striped and signs were erected proclaiming the spot “Burges Dragway.” http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/morgue/2011/07/1982-broken-melody-a-biography-of-bobby-fuller.html

Area: Mission Valley / Ysleta

Source: Rick Kern

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History

Comments

Add a comment
Thank you for your comment

Report this entry

Choose the most important reason for this report

Your name

Your email address

Optional detail

Thank you for your report

More from the same community-collection

J. J. Armes World's Greatest Investigator

I’ve had every type of animal you can imagine; a baby ...

J. J. Armes and Linda Armes

J. J. Armes with his wife Linda Armes. Jay J. Armes was born ...

J. J. Armes

J. J. Armes Action Figure: The Detective with Interchangeable ...

J. J. Armes III and Gypsy

In the words of J. J. Armes: I’ve had every type of animal ...

J. J. Armes III and Gypsy

J. J. Armes III with Gypsy, a member of their family. Jay J. ...

Maid With Gypsy

Gypsy a member of the J. J. Armes family with maid. Photo ...

J. J. Arms With His Children

J. J. Arms with his children in front of his home. Jay J. ...

J. J. Armes and J. J. Armes III

J. J. Armes with J. J. Armes III.

J. J. Armes III, Michael Armes, and Gypsy

Left to right: Michael Armes, Gypsy, J. J. Armes III. Jay J. ...

Tracy Armes, Gypsy, Michael Armes, J. J. Armes III

Children of the "World's Greatest Investigator." Starting from ...

J. J. Armes III

J. J. Armes III playing with his pet. Jay J. Armes was born ...

J. J. Armes III

J. J. Armes III with his pet. Jay J. Armes was born and ...

J. J. Armes

J. J. Armes is known for his prosthetic hands. This image shows ...

Juana Marquez - Wife Of First Mayor

Juana Marquez Dowell (1833-1891), Wife of the first mayor of El ...

Bronco Swapmeet, 8408 Alameda

The horse head was sculpted in 1950 for the Bronco Drive-In ...

Socorro Road and Border Highway

Mural on side of Border Highway depicting the mission past of ...

Bobby Fuller

It's 1966 and a group out of El Paso, Texas calling themselves ...

Uncle Phip - Ysleta Mission - 1987

My Uncle Phip sitting in the passage to the Ysleta Missiion ...

At a school function

Parents waiting for talent show to start

At the swap meet

Musicians at the bronco swap meet

Rei Barnum at the Harmony Public School Language Olympiad

Rei Barnum in traditional Turkish folk dress, waiting to perform ...

Christmas Eve

Luminarias on Christmas Eve.

home.search_collection