Little Did He Know…
Little did he know that his very own song would eventually be sung by the likes of Janis Joplin (as well as many others) and go on to be highly respected among country music fans, aficionados, and casual listeners alike. He probably also didn’t anticipate the kind of following his song would emulate.
So, who is this “Bobby”?
James Gurley, Janis Joplin, Sam Andrew, Dave Getz, Peter Albin, and dog. Photo by Elliot Landy / landyvision.com
What many people don’t know is that Bobby was actually a woman. And that woman was Barbara “Bobby” McKee, a secretary at an office that Fred Foster (from Monument Records) would see on Nashville’s Music Row. And Bobby was clearly the apple of Foster’s eye, if he made all these trips to see her. Foster’s friend can even attest to it… Bobby was the 29-year-old secretary to Boudleaux Bryant, a composer and friend of Foster that worked in the same building.