"Bobby's Music delivers a special message, and if you listen to this message, you will also believe"
Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu

BIOGRAPHY - THE MAN BEHIND THE VOICE

Bobby Woods spent most of his childhood surrounded by the enchanting sounds of Gospel, Soul, Blues and R&B music. From a very young age Bobby listened to the radio, where he heard the sounds of Stax and Atlantic, heard all the stars and wanted to be like them.

Singing Gospel at Church is where it all started. His mother sang in the local Gospel Choir whilst his father was a very popular Sax player. In his teens he started putting singing groups and bands together. The style of music was always heavily influenced by the likes of Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklyn, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

Bobby has since toured the world as a Singer/Songwriter and Bandleader, performing at many of the top Jazz Festivals across Europe including Montreux. He has won many musical accolades in Jazz, Soul, Blues and R&B as a singer including ‘Best Male Soul Singer’ at the Hummingbird Black Music Awards (forerunner to the MOBOs) in 1987 and 1988. Bobby has also worked with and met many of his musical heroes including Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Eddie Grant, Bunny Ruggs (Third World Band), Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker…

Firmly based in the West Midlands Bobby is a regular fixture on the local Jazz and R&B scenes and the singer of choice for many prestige events across Birmingham and the Black Country. He has performed at Pizza Express outlets up and down the Country and opened many of their Restaurants.

Now a regular performer at the Birmingham International Jazz Festival, the festival’s organiser, Jim Simpson, said of Bobby that he “has an unusual, somewhat surprising talent for a UK-based singer. His knowledge of, and ability to perform the great American songbook is, in this country, unequalled. Adept and comfortable in the styles from Soul to Blues to Jazz, Bobby has the voice, capability and capacity to enthral that is essential in a professional performer.”