Bobby Mitchell was a New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

 Rhythm & Blues singer and songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

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Mitchell was born in the Algiers section

Algiers, Louisiana

Algiers is a neighborhood within the city of New Orleans. It is the portion of Orleans Parish on the West Bank of the Mississippi River.Algiers is also known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans.-History:...

 of New Orleans. He was a popular recording artist in the 1950s and early 1960s, making records for Imperial Records

Imperial Records

Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI.- The independent and Liberty Records years :...

, Show Biz Records and Rip Records. He first recorded in his teens with the do-wop group "The Toppers", which was broken up as most of the members were drafted

Conscription in the United States

Conscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...

. Mitchell's single "Try Rock 'n Roll," hit the top 20 R&B charts 1956. Many of his sessions were arranged by Dave Bartholomew

Dave Bartholomew

Dave Bartholomew is a musician, band leader, composer and arranger, prominent in the music of New Orleans throughout the second half of the 20th century...

. His single I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday

I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday

"I'm Gonna to Be a Wheel Someday" is a popular song written by Roy Hayes, Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. The song was first recorded by Bobby Mitchell & The Toppers in 1957 and released in the same year as the single, "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday"...

was a hit, predating the even more famous cover of the tune by Fats Domino

Fats Domino

Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....

 and got Michell a spot on American Bandstand

American Bandstand

American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...

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In the early 1980s he did radio shows at WWOZ

WWOZ

WWOZ is a non-profit community-supported radio station in New Orleans, Louisiana broadcasting at 90.7 FM. The station specializes in music from or relating to the cultural heritage of New Orleans and the surrounding region of Louisiana.-Programming:...

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External links

• [ Bobby Mitchell on allmusic.com]