Bobbye Hall -

Bobbye Hall is an American jazz-funk percussionist from Detroit who released the 1977 album Body Language for Lovers on 20th Century. As a sessionist, she played on Seventies albums by Grant Green, Willie Hutch, Tavares, Bill Withers, and Chi Coltrane.

Background

Bobbye Hall was born Bobby Jean Hall in 1950 in Detroit, Michigan. Hall grew up as an only child in a household where her mother sang and her grandfather played wooden bones. She first played tambourine at church and improvised on pots and pans at home. Her mother bought Hall a pair of bongos, followed by a small drum kit one Christmas. Hall carried drums by bus to school sports rallies and taught herself percussion. Her mother took Hall to Detroit Institute of Music for an evaluation, where an instructor advised continued self-directed study.

Hall played teen dances at Detroit’s 20 Grand nightclub while still in high school. Motown arranger Paul Riser heard her at a downstairs teen hop and invited her to a recording session at Hitsville U.S.A. Hall entered Motown sessions with the Funk Brothers and recorded for acts including the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Miracles, and the Supremes. The teenage percussionist joined Detroit AFM Local 5 and earned union scale from studio calls.

Hall lived in Europe for several years and adopted the spelling Bobbye for professional use. She settled in Los Angeles in 1970 and joined AFM Local 47 as session work expanded across the city. Hall recorded in 1971 with Bill Withers on Just As I Am and Gene Clark on White Light. She also played bongos for Marvin Gaye on “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),” an evergreen from What’s Going On.

Hall joined Bill Withers at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 6, 1972, with drummer James Gadson and bassist Melvin Dunlap. The percussionist recorded that year on albums by Carole King (Rhymes & Reasons), Joni Mitchell (For the Roses), and James Taylor (One Man Dog.). Carole King took Hall on a 1973 tour and introduced her onstage as Ms. Bobbye Hall. Hall notched further credits on albums by Gaye (Let’s Get It On), Seals & Crofts (Diamond Girl), Tavares (Check It Out), and the Willie Hutch soundtrack for The Mack.

Hall married record producer Joe Porter and appeared as both Bobbye Hall Porter and Bobbye Porter Hall on mid-1970s session credits. She recorded in 1974 with Quincy Jones on Body Heat and Stevie Wonder on Fulfillingness’ First Finale. Hall added percussion to the 1975 Jefferson Starship comeback album Red Octopus and congas to the Doobie Brothers release Stampede. In 1976, she reappeared behind Gaye (I Want You) and Wonder (Songs in the Key of Life).

Hall and Porter co-wrote seven of eight pieces selected for an album under Hall’s name. The pair prepared Body Language for Lovers for 20th Century Records, with Porter producing at Davlen Sound Studios.

Discography: