Death of Bobby Fuller still shrouded in mystery

Bobby Fuller had a lot of adoring female fans back in his heyday.

“I talked my brother into leaving, to go to California. To this day, I wish I’d never done that.”

Randy Fuller made this comment after the book he co-authored, “I Fought the Law,” was published in 2014. It covered the life and times of his brother, Bobby, who was born in Baytown in 1942.

The family later lived in El Paso, where during the 1960s Bobby put together a band that played shows at local clubs.

In 1964 Bobby moved to Los Angeles in hopes of making it big with his group, the Bobby Fuller Four, which included Randy on bass. They were signed to Del-Fi Records by producer Bob Keane, who had worked with surf-rock groups and discovered Ritchie Valens.

The Bobby Fuller Four recorded originals and covers, and in 1965 scored a hit in California with “Let Her Dance.” But it was the following year’s release of “I Fought the Law” that really put the group on the map.

After the song’s rise on the national charts, it seemed like great things were ahead for Bobby and the band. About six months later, however, Bobby was discovered dead in his car at age 23.

Mystery still surrounds the circumstances of Bobby’s death. This short video provides an interesting look at the life and musical career of this young man with Baytown roots.