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Artist
Bobby Caldwell
12+ albums
soulSmooth Jazzjazzadult contemporaryAOR
about
Bobby Caldwell (August 15, 1951 – March 14, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, despite a prolific musical output over his 30-year career, was still best known for his 1978 hit single "What You Won't Do for Love." While he has always maintained a devoted fan base in the United States, a more legendary status has been bestowed upon him in Japan. Early life Bobby Caldwell was born in Manhattan to Bob and Carolyn Franklin, the hosts of Suppertime, an early television variety show. Living in Memphis and, chiefly, Miami (which he has called an influential "dumping ground" for all kinds of music), he took up piano and guitar as a preteen. Forming his own band at 17, he took the group on the road, later recording an album entitled Kathmandu. Caldwell's first performances were more rock-oriented than the bulk of his career would indicate; early dates had him playing Jimi Hendrix and Cream covers in small clubs. [edit] Recording career [edit] Bobby Caldwell (What You Won't Do for Love) Bobby Caldwell was signed to legendary Miami label TK Records, home to many different kinds of musical acts: the pop-disco of KC & The Sunshine Band, the Latin-flavoured funk of Foxy, the down-home soul of George McCrae and his wife Gwen McCrae, and the futuristic, jazzy disco of Peter Brown and T-Connection. For this very hot label, Bobby recorded his double platinum-attaining self-titled solo album, scoring hits with the singles "What You Won't Do for Love",
