Robert Raymond Hendricks (February 22, 1938 – March 25, 2022)[1][2] was an American R&B singer who charted two hits in the late 1950s.
Life and career
Hendricks was born in Columbus, Ohio, where he joined his first group, the Crowns, at the age of 16.[1] He was then a member of The Swallows, and The Flyers, before joining The Drifters in 1957. He sang lead on songs including "Drip Drop", and then became a successful solo act.[3]
His single "Itchy Twitchy Feeling", which was covered by his former band soon after it began attracting radio airplay, hit the U.S. charts, reaching No. 5 on the R&B Singles chart and No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958.[3] Hendricks's only other charting single, "Psycho",[3] was a novelty song depicting a psychiatrist talking with a patient.[4] "Psycho" peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. New York City disc jockey Dr. Jive (Tommy Smalls) was the voice of the psychiatrist on "Psycho".[5]
From 1961, on and off, through 2008, Bobby Hendricks worked as lead singer with Bill Pinkney's Original Drifters[3] and appeared with them on PBS in the Doo Wop 51 television broadcast and Doo Wop Love Songs, singing "Stand By Me" with Bill Pinkney, Charlie Thomas, and Ben E. King.
Bobby Hendricks died of complications from Alzheimer's disease at his home in Lancaster, California on March 25, 2022. He was 84 years old. He had been diagnosed with the disease in 2016.[6]
