Robert Blackwell
| Robert Blackwell | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert Alexander Blackwell |
| Also known as | Bumps Blackwell |
| Born |
May 23, 1918 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | March 9, 1985 (aged 66) Hacienda Heights, Whittier, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock and roll, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, record producer, arranger |
| Years active | 1947–1981 |
Robert Alexander "Bumps" Blackwell (May 23, 1918 – March 9, 1985) was an American bandleader, songwriter, arranger, and record producer, best known for his work overseeing the early hits of Little Richard, as well as grooming Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Ernestine Anderson, Lloyd Price, Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert, Larry Williams, and Sly and the Family Stone at the start of their music careers.
Born in Seattle, Washington, Blackwell led a jazz group in the late 1940s that included pianist Ray Charles and trumpeter Quincy Jones. He moved to Hollywood, California to continue studying composition, but he instead took a job at Art Rupe's Specialty Records as an arranger and producer. He worked with Sam Cooke, Larry Williams, Lloyd Price and Guitar Slim, as well as producing Little Richard during his rise to stardom in 1955 and 1956.
In addition to producing Little Richard's breakthrough hit "Tutti Frutti" following hearing him sing the song in the studio, Blackwell also produced Little Richard's other mid-50s hits, co-writing some as them as well, including: "Long Tall Sally"; "Good Golly Miss Molly"; "Ready Teddy"; and "Rip It Up". They all quickly became rock and roll standards, and have subsequently been covered by hundreds of artists including Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
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