Leicester Bangs Q&A
with Bob Tobin
Bob Tobin is a native of
Charleston, South Carolina. He plays guitar, harmonica and percussion, and most
of all he likes writing and singing his songs.
Leicester Bangs: Tell
us a little about yourself.
Bob Tobin: I was
born in Charleston, South Carolina, which recently was declared by Condé
Nast magazine as the number one city
in the US to visit. My first performance was Silent Night at a Christmas party
for my kindergarden class. Most of my life has been spent on the salt waters of
the world. I spent four years in the US Coast Guard, three years as a
commercial fisherman, three years as a tugboat captain, and twenty five years
running and owning a marine construction company building docks, boat houses,
boatlifts, and anything else pertaining to the water. You will find that the
oceans play a big role in the songs that I write.
LB: How did you start out
making music?
Bob: When I was in high school
I was in the glee club. Three of my very close friends and I got together and
created a quartet singing all the songs of that era, doowop mainly. That was
the birth time of all the great music that started then and has continued to
now. I messed around trying to play the guitar, like everyone else, but never
really got good at it.
I wrote my first song
during that time at the age of eighteen. I never have recorded it but I should.
It was R&B in style.
LB: Whom did you grow up
listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now?
Bob: I have always been drawn
to that special and different sound in a voice. There are so many sound alikes
today and I yearn for that special voice again. My first love was Al Jolson.
Now I'm telling my age. My second and third were Ray Charles and Jimmy Buffet.
Delbert McClinton should be thrown in there too. I think those last three
really influence my style of writing.
When I sit down to write a
song, I never have a genre in mind. It may come out blues, pop, rock, country,
or you name it. Hey you young people, don't ever count out the old guys, we
still know how to rock! Give a listen.
LB: Tell us about your latest
release.
Bob: This CD “The Other Side Of
The Horizon” comes three and a half years since my last one. I wrote many songs
during that time and chose fourteen to be on this one. If you're a songwriter
you know that there are a pile of them that just don't cut it, crumpled up
pieces of paper. I do think that this one is my best so far. And I do believe
that if you can surround yourself with great musicians it will elevate you to a
level that you didn't know you could reach.
LB: Do you get out and play
your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows?
Bob: My wife, Dellie, and I
have done a duo for last twenty-five years. Today we do three things, she has a
trio of gals that she plays with, I have some buddies I play with, and from
time to time she and I will do some private engagements. We’ve traveled
extensively enjoying wherever we've gone but always taking our instruments and
playing wherever it may be.
I return to Costa Rica
every winter with my music friends to play our music and see old friends.
LB: What aspects of playing
and recording music do you most enjoy?
Bob: If you're fortunate to
have an audience who is quiet and appreciates what you do, there's nothing else
like it. That's when I think I shine? There becomes a connection and intimacy
that's hard to explain. I know this to be true because it happens to me when I
experience it with another performer. I try not to do the loud bars anymore. Only
if it pays REAL GOOD (laughs).
Then there's the
recording. When I go into the studio I hate to leave. When this last CD was
finished it felt like I was addicted and having withdrawls. As I said earlier,
being around great musicians elevates me. And that's a real good feeling!
LB: Where can people find
(and buy) your music?
Bob: I have three CDs out: one
with my wife and two of my own. All three can be found on CDBaby. My two can also
be found on iTunes and Amazon. Go to my website to check it all out (link
below).
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