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Growing Up In Omaha
Ok, here's some stuff you can read if you wish...I won't twist your arm (but aye...your here, why not?)Bobby's passion has always been to create and compose music and lyrics that soothe the soul. "Give me some keyboards, steel drums, sax, flute, koto, guitar, 2 strips of bacon...anything I can get my hands on. When you listen to my music you'll probably hear two of my favorite instruments (guitar & sax) but I settled for my #1 instrument - Drums. I love using sounds and cultural rhythms as well. Inside the box? (naaa)...that's like eating corn flakes 24/7. Give me variety." This Colorado based producer/songwriter's music has been coined as feel-good music. He received a call and letter from White House Tippor Gore in 1993 for his community involvement and promotion of peace at "Racial Harmony Day" created by my friend Mimi Segal. His "JUST BELIEVE IT" from Bobby's first album Wait a Minute written and produced by himself, was released in 1994. Channel 9 interview by Karen Karsh about "Just Believe It"Bobbys success story reached new heights in 1997 as he took part at the "Summt Of Eight" event President Clinton and 7 other World Leaders.KHIH (95.7/DENVER, CO) BAND OF THE YEAR 1995...voted by the KHIH radio staff and the people's choice after a dynamic and electrifying performance.Wells was called on by Major League Baseball and the Colorado Rockies to perform his instrumental song "A True Hero" and "Just Believe It" for the 50th Anniversary Tribute to Jackie Robinson, with Jackie's wife Rachel Robinson and Buck O'Neil in attendance. Bobby also created Colorados first family baseball CD, Born To Go The Distance supported by Hershey's and King Soopers, both major sponsors for the Rockies All-Star Game season in 1998. Yvonne Brown joined Bobby in singing the National Anthem at the Home Run Derby which was part of the All-Star Celebration. Bobby's 3rd CD "Its About Time" features on saxophone KIRK WHALUM, NELSON RANGELL and DARREN RAHN Bobby was presented with a Proclamation from Denver, Colo. Mayor Wellington Webb establishing August 10th, 1998 as BOBBY WELLS DAY.JONATHAN WIDRAN writes in JAZZIZ magazine...Wells - experiments with synth sounds and rhythmic possibilities with the aplomb of George Duke. Another quote by JONATHAN WIDRAN for Bobby's present release BAYSIDE CD "Immediately likable results" featuring Eric Marienthal and Michael O'Neill. Inducted in the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame 2007. Along side the (late) Buddy Miles, LA Carnival, Crackin, Lois "Lady Mac" McMorris, Terry Lewis, Steppen Stonz, Lester Abrams, Calvin Keys and authors like Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rogers. "America, Don't Throw It Away" CD was released due to the issues facing Americans today and some of the directions it which it is choosing. It is a wake up call.OK, here's some folks I've either worked or shared billings with:BONEY JAMES, RICHARD ELLIOT, CRAIG CHAQUICO, PETER WHITE, DOC POWELL, WARREN HILL, DOTSERO, BOBBY CALDWELL, JEFF LORBER, BRYAN SAVAGE, FATTBURGER, NELSON RANGELL, BAMBOO FOREST, ANDREW WOOLFOLK (EW&F) Kirk Whalum, Eric Marienthal, Nathan East, Michael O'Neill, Chuck Berry, Gerald Albright, Arno Lucas, Pamela Renee, Yvonne Brown, Nelson Rangell, Randy Villars, Linda Berry, Hazel Miller, Mel Brown, Anthony James Baker, Selina Albright, Ras Iginga, Ralph Dickerson, Ken Navarro, Steve Sykes, Producer-Randy Emata, Augustus McNair, Karen Karsh, Dik Darnell, Darren Rahn, Jay Dikeman, Jock Bartley, Don Griffin, Lon Van Eaton, Lawrence Sims, Perry Jones, Eric Robnet, Larry Thompson, Cary Gallespie, Mike Hossler, Dave VanSuch, Dave Summers, Wes Makey, Ken Trujillo, David London, Keith Rogers, Eric Baines, Mark Derryberry, James VanBuren, Myron Chandler, Vernon Barbery, Dr. Isidro Aybar, Randy Chavez, On Second Thought, Derrick Edmondson, Mimi Segal - Racial Harmony Day, Lawrence Clark, Mike Hancock, Michael Delnegro, Bob Rebholtz, Gino Diquincio Enoch Bosunga, Mark Derryberry, Michael Hupfer and more. A VERY BIG THANKS Goes out to these special people who took part in a dream. Dan & Traci Morton, Dave & Jan Holcomb, Marilyn Weber, Andy Goldberg, Dave & Karen Stackhouse, Jay Dikeman, Lola Osmond, Lyle & Donna Johnson, Sharon Pfannenstiel, Ed Berry, Gloria Hodge, Bob & Jo Morton, Angie Weiman, Helen Weber, Colette, Billy Owen
In short, Bobby grew up in north Omaha on 37th street and Paxton Blvd. At Monmouth Park elementary school he chose, as his first instrument, the trombone. Bobby says "I got a clue real quick...that having asthma and going to the hospital just about every other weekend, literally living in a home called Hattie B. Munroe, I shared a room with a crippled boy, and at that time the Hattie B. was just building a brand new Clubhouse. The first time I heard "If I Had A Hammer" was sung to me by a girl patient down the hall from my room.) I lived there over a year. Well, playing the trombone was not going to work...oooweee...you need a lot of wind." "As a kid, I lived under oxygen tents with my little black AM Radio (I repeat AM), I think it was KOIL Radio, which I loved listening to." Bobby says "all kinds of music was played on that one station. " As a child, my mother Dorothy scrambled all of us kids off to church where we heard preaching, gospel music and hymms. Most of the week, at home, I heard Jazz music played by my stepfather James. Another influence was my uncle Sammy-dee who was one of the top 2 or 3 barbers in town, down on 24th street and he loved to play his guitar. Man he was good! no sooner than he would finish cutting someone's head, he'd jump on that guitar and strum out some Wes Montgomery. I liked it too...but didn't understand Coltrane, Parker or any of the Big Band stuff. Most of the kids I grew up with were into Aretha, Stevie, Marvin, Supremes, Martha, Temptations, Four Tops, Gladys and James Brown. Well, I got a mixture of music in my ear. As a teen I began plucking out melodies on the church pi-ano with two fingers until I could make a song, but playing drums seemed more natural. Some of the music by Wes Montgomery, Isaac Hayes and Berry White began to seep into my collection of musicians and then it got intense! I developed a taste for various rhythms as I listened to musicians like Billy Cobham, Harvey Mason, Lenny White, Steve Gadd, Robin Russell, Dave Weckl, Sly Dunbar and Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, George Benson and became a real time keeper. I also listened to melody greats like Stevie Wonder, my man Vince Guaraldi - the pianist in all the Charlie Brown movies back in the day, Paul McCartney, Michael McDonald, EWF & M. Jackson which helped me learn to hook." Bobby moved to Denver about 1979 through a transfer at his company North Western Bell Telephone Company. On the side he began playing drums for raggae bands doing covers of Bob Marley, Steel Pulse and Third World. But after a few years of band members not showing up for practice and making $7 -$12.00 (or a chicken dinner) a concert, he thought it best to raise his family and keep his day job. "I had a wonderful time raising my family, the memories with my wife Kathy and the little ones with their beeks a flapp'in are priceless and will remain in my heart." As "Smooth Jazz" began to pickup steam he began listening to guys like Earl Klugh, Lee Ritenour, Bob James, Michael McDonald and Spyra Gyra. Bobby practiced writing 1-2 songs a week. About 1993 he met a singer James VanBuren who heard his music and said "man, you need to get out of this corner and let other people hear your music." So, after releasing "Wait A Minute" and 17 years at the phone company Bobby decided to pursue music full-time. He has released 3 Smooth Jazz Cd's and recently just released his first Christian CD "Here With You Lord."
BIRDS OF PARADISE.mp3
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