b. Eli Tatarsky, 2nd March 1946, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
d. 17th August 2023, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Bobby Eli was an accomplished songwriter, producer, arranger and guitarist.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, there is an assumption that Bobby was a black artist, however, he is actually a white musician.
Bobby has been a major influence on the Philadelphia music scene since he 1960's.
His major input, however, came in the 1970's and 1980's as a session guitarist, songwriter and producer.
Bobby with MFSB (guitar - front centre)
Bobby was one of the founding members of TSOP and the MFSB set up.
He was a regular session player for Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in the 1970s.
As writer and / or producer he has worked with a wide array of artists including Major Harris ('Love Won't Let Me Wait', 1974), Blue Magic ('Sideshow'), Brenda And The Tabulations ('Let's Go All The Way Down'), Booker Newberry Ill ('Love Town'), Ronnie Dyson ('Just Don't Want To Be Lonely' & 'Heart To Heart'), Atlantic Starr ('Straight To The Point'), Gavin Christopher ('We're In Love'), Joanna Gardner ('I Could Never Love Another Like You'), Jean Carne ('Givin'Up On Love') and Jackie Moore ('This Time Baby').
Bobby went on to co-pen the song by Fat Larry's Band, 'Zoom', which reached to number 2 in the U.K. charts in 1982.
Bobby also worked alongside Dionne Warwick, Rose Royce, Elton John, The Whispers, The Temptations, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson & the Jackson Five, Curtis Mayfield, Patti LaBelle, Nancy Wilson, Stevie Wonder, BeBe and CeCe Winans and many more.
Bobby contributed as a guitarist, arranger, and member of MFSB to the 2007 project 'A Soulful Tale of Two Cities' album, which joined artists from Motown and Philadelphia International Records.
A year earlier, Bobby opened his own recording facility, 'The Grooveyard', in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Bobby Eli's musical portfolio was second to none.
Check this URL for more Bobby Eli images from back in the day
bobby playing with the Detroit Spinners
