Formed in El Paso, Texas in 1962, the Bobby Fuller Four was a pop rock quartet best known for the 1965 hits “I Fought the Law” and “Let Her Dance.” Originally inspired by rock and roll greats like Buddy Holly, Bobby Fuller – born in Baytown, Texas on October 22, 1942 – released his debut solo single, “You’re in Love,” in 1961. Backed by his then-current band the Embers, the single was a local hit. He formed his own band featuring his brother Randy on bass and drummer Gaylord Grimes and recorded his next single, “Gently My Love,” at Norman Petty Recording Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, the same studio that Buddy Holly recorded all his classic hits. After several more singles, Bobby Fuller and his band went to Hollywood, California in 1964 to pursue a record deal. He was turned down by record labels but was encouraged to work on more original material before trying again. He and his band returned to El Paso and released more singles before feeling that they were ready for a record deal. Heading back to Hollywood, the classic line-up came together: Bobby Fuller, Randy Fuller, Jim Reese (guitar), and DeWayne Quirico (drums). Signing to Del-Fi Records, their first single, “Those Memories of You” (1964), was released on sister label Donna Records. Impressed by what he was hearing, Del-Fi’s owner set up Mustang Records just for releases by Bobby Fuller and issued the “Wolfman” / “Thunder Reef” single. Settling on the group name the Bobby Fuller Four, their next single was 1965’s “Take My Word.” The band finally hit the charts with “Let Her Dance,” which only reached number 133 but was a hit in Southern California. After the release of the single “Never to Be Forgotten,” the Bobby Fuller Four finally reached the Top 10 with “I Fought the Law,” a cover of a Crickets song written by Sonny Curtis. Drummer DeWayne Quirico quit the band and was replaced by the group’s original drummer, Dalton Powell. The Bobby Fuller Four went back to the Buddy Holly catalog for “Love’s Made a Fool of You,” which reached number 26 on the Hot 100. The next single, “The Magic Touch,” didn’t chart nationally, but it was another local hit. Behind the scenes, the band began to splinter with John Reese being drafted and Powell planning to head back to El Paso. On July 16, 1966, the body of Bobby Fuller was found in his car parked outside of his home. Beaten and covered in gasoline, his death was ruled a suicide by investigators, but rumors continue to circulate that he was killed by the mob. He was just 23 years old. Bob Keane from Del-Fi Records put together a new band called the Randy Fuller Four but that was short lived. Like his idol Buddy Holly, Bobby Fuller didn’t live long enough to realize his true potential.
