Bob Gaddy (February 4, 1924 – July 24, 1997) was an American East Coast blues and rhythm-and-blues pianist, singer and songwriter. He is best remembered for his recordings of "Operator" and "Rip and Run," and musical work he undertook with Larry Dale, Wild Jimmy Spruill, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee.
Bob Gaddy was born in Vivian, Virginia, a small coal-mining town. Bob’s father was a miner who sang in a vocal quartet at the weekend, and Bob followed his lead, also singing in Church. In the late 30s, Blind Boy Fuller was a big Blues star, and Bob became a fan, and also started learning piano.
After World War II ended he relocated to New York, in 1946. Gaddy later commented, "I came to New York just to visit, because I was on my way to the West Coast. Somehow or other, I just got hooked on it. New York got into my system and I've been stuck here ever since." After a chance encounter with Sonny Terry at a Lennox Street club, he was invited to play piano in Sonny’s band, The Night Owls.
Gaddy first record for Jackson Records; his debut single, "Bicycle Boogie", was released in 1952. He later Recorded for the Jax, Dot and Harlem record labels, before joining Hy Weiss's Old Town Records in 1956. It was here that Gaddy had his most commercially successful period, particularly with "I Love My Baby", "Paper Lady", and "Rip and Run". For Gaddy's early recordings, McGhee was often in the recording studio with him; for his Old Town recordings, he used the guitarists Jimmy Spruill and Joe Ruffin and the saxophonist Jimmy Wright.
Around 1960 Bob didn’t make any more records or get picked up by the Folk/Blues Revival, but he continued to play club gigs around New York for many years. In 1986, all his Old Town material, including some great un-released tracks, was issued on the album ‘Rip & Run’, the title track being another ‘Champion Jack’ number.
Two years later, Bob, Larry Dale and Jimmy Spruill played a re-union gig that was probably Bob’s last major engagement before he passed away. Working as a chef in New York in his later years, Bob commented that, “We didn’t make a lot of money, but we had a lot of fun!”
Gaddy died of lung cancer in July 1997, at the age of 73, in the Bronx, New York.
(Edited from Wikipedia)
Here’s a clip from the 1994 Blues To Bop Festival at Lugano. Live from Piazza Riforma. Bob Gaddy and the Mighty House Rockers, feat. Larry Dale. Bob Gaddy, piano & Larry Dale, guitar..