Bobbi Martin

Bobbi Martin
Bobbi Martin
	Martin on the For The Love Of Him album cover
Background information
Birth name	Barbara Ann Martin
Born	November 29, 1938; Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Died	May 2, 2000 (aged 60); Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres	Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary, Easy Listening
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1960s–1990s
Labels	Coral Records, United Artists Records, Buddah Records

Barbara Ann "Bobbi" Martin (November 29, 1938 – May 2, 2000) was an American country and pop music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She grew up in Oslo, Minnesota and began her singing career in Baltimore, working her way up from local venues onto the national nightclub circuit.^[1]

Martin was born to Virginia Chaney (1919-1971) and an unknown father. Her mother refused to tell her the name of her birth father, something that haunted Bobbi her entire life.^[2] When Martin was 5, her mother married Allen C. Paulson (1920-1983) in Temple, Texas, whom she met while they were both in the military, and the family lived in his hometown of Oslo, Minnesota, on the North Dakota border. Bobbi had a half-brother, Terry Paulson, born in 1946. Martin was in the habit of representing herself as being four years younger. Hence, she was 60 when she died.

Martin recorded for Coral Records for several years before releasing her debut album, Don't Forget I Still Love You.^[3] The title track was a hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 2 on the Easy Listening (adult contemporary) chart and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[4] A follow-up single "I Can't Stop Thinking of You", first introduced on the nationally televised Dean Martin Show won her the Cashbox Disc Jockey Poll as Most Promising Female Vocalist of 1965. While popular at nightclubs in Miami Beach, New York, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico, and on TV appearances with the Jackie Gleason, Ronnie Dove, Tonight, and Dean Martin Shows, it would be 5 years before she scored another hit with "For the Love of Him", from the album of the same name. This song went to No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart and No. 13 on the Hot 100.^[4] The singer charted many smaller regional, Bubbling Under Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart records up to 1972.

Martin died of cancer on May 2, 2000^[5] at the Brighton Wood Knoll medical facility in Baltimore. Martin had one daughter, Shane Clements.

Discography

Don't Forget I Still Love You (Coral Records, 1964) U.S. No. 127^[6]
I Love You So (Coral Records, 1965)
Harper Valley P.T.A. (United Artists UAS 6668, 1968)
For the Love of Him (United Artists UAS 6700, 1969) No. 45 Country
With Love (United Artists UAS 6755, 1970) U.S. No. 176^[6]
Have You Ever Been Lonely (Vocalion VL 73906, Compilation, 1970)
Tomorrow (Buddah Records, 1971)
Thinking of You (Sunset, SUS-5319, 1971)

Singles

Year	Single (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated	Chart positions				Album
Year		US	US AC	US Country	AUS^[7]	Album
1960	"Is It True?" b/w "(Ay, Ay, Ay) I'll Wait Forever"	—	—	—	—	Non-album tracks
1961	"I Need Your Love" b/w "Cry, Cry, Cry"	—	—	—	—
1961	"(You Don't Have a) Wooden Heart" b/w "Why Should I Cry"	—	—	—	—
1962	"Forgive Me" b/w "Tired and Blue"	—	—	—	—
1962	"Afraid" b/w "Brenda, Brenda"	—	—	—	—
1963	"A - You're Adorable (Alphabet Of Love)" b/w "A Girl's Prayer"	—	—	—	—
1964	"Does Your Heart Hurt A Little" b/w "I'm A Fool (To Go On Loving You)" (from Don't Forget I Still Love You)	—	—	—	—
1964	"Don't Forget I Still Love You" b/w "On The Outside (Looking In)" (Non-album track)	19	2	—	—	Don't Forget I Still Love You
1965	"I Can't Stop Thinking Of You" b/w "A Million Thanks To You" (from Don't Forget I Still Love You)	46	9	—	—	I Love You So
	"I Love You So" b/w "When Will The Torch Go Out" (Non-album track)	70	16	—	—	I Love You So
	"I Don't Want To Live (Without Your Love)" b/w "Holding Back The Tears"	115	21	—	—	Non-album tracks
	"There Are No Rules" b/w "Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye"	—	29	—	—
	"Just One Time" b/w "Tryin' To Get You Offa' My Mind"	—	—	—	—
1966	"Don't Take It Out On Me" b/w "Something On My Mind"	119	—	—	—
	"Sometimes" b/w "I Can Give You Love"	—	—	—	—
	"Oh Lonesome Me" b/w "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie"	134	—	64	—
	"Just as Much as Ever" b/w "You Have No Idea"	—	—	—	—
1967	"How Long" b/w "Anytime" (from Don't Forget I Still Love You)	—	—	—	—
1968	"Only You (and You Alone)" b/w "Would You Believe"	—	—	—	—
	"A Man and A Woman" b/w "Before You"	—	—	—	—
	"Harper Valley P.T.A." b/w "He Called Me Baby"	114	—	—	—	Harper Valley P.T.A
	"I Love Him" b/w "I Think Of You"	—	—	—	—	Harper Valley P.T.A
1969	"Your Cheatin' Heart" b/w "Tennessee Waltz"	—	—	—	—	For The Love Of Him
1970	"For The Love Of Him" Original A-side: "I Fall to Pieces" Later B-side: "I Think Of You" (from Harper Valley P.T.A.)	13	1	—	14	For The Love Of Him
1970	"Give A Woman Love" b/w "Goin' South"	97	17	—	89	With Love
1971	"#Other covers\|No Love at All" b/w "A Place For Me"	123	—	—	—	Tomorrow
	"Devotion" b/w "A Place For Me" (from Tomorrow)	—	—	—	—	Non-album track
	"Tomorrow" b/w "Sentimental Journey"	—	32	—	—	Tomorrow
1972	"Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight)" b/w "Give Me A Star/To Live Another Summer To Pass Another Winter"	—	16	—	—	Non-album tracks
1973	"Now Lonely Is Only A Word" b/w "Smile For Me"	—	—	—	—
1975	"Man Was Made To Love Woman" b/w "Don't Be Down On Me"	—	—	—	—

References

^ Source for her birth name: Mike Levine, "A Catch in Her Throat; A Song in Her Heart," Middletown Times Herald-Record, January 8, 1989 https://www.recordonline.com/article/20070114/NEWS/70114102
^ Mike Levine, "A Catch in Her Throat; A Song in Her Heart," Middletown Times Herald-Record, January 8, 1989 https://www.recordonline.com/article/20070114/NEWS/70114102
^ Review of Don't Forget I Still Love You. Allmusic
^ ^a ^b Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com
^ Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 7th edn, 2000
^ ^a ^b Billboard, Allmusic.com
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 193. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.