BOBBI HUMPHREY
Bobbi Humphrey has played with the best, ranging from Duke Ellington, to Lee Morgan to Stevie Wonder (featured on Songs In The Key of Life in 1977).
The title of one of Bobbi's Epic Records LPs "The Good Life," best describes her career. Born in Marlin, Texas and raised in Dallas, Humphrey’s training on flute began in high school and continued through her years at Texas Southern University and Southern Methodist University. It was there that Dizzy Gillespie spotted her when he served as a judge in a school-wide competition.
With Gillespie encouraging her to pursue a career in New York City, Humphrey wrote a letter to New York’s famed Apollo Theatre and received a telegram soon afterwards telling her, “We have reserved a spot for you on Amateur Night”. She didn’t take further convincing , nor did she have trouble finding her “spot” in the music industry.
Certainly a lady playing a flute must have seemed something of a novelty then. Bobbi has proved that she is not just a “first” or novelty, but a talent to be reckoned with. For in 1973, her LP, "Blues and Blues" was not only a huge commercial success, but established a strong crossover market for her.
Bobbi has continuously proved her sustaining power, for today she is the only successful female urban-pop flutist on the scene. Further proof is the fact that she was acclaimed “Best Female Instrumentalist” (1976 and 1978 to both Billboard and Record World, and “Best Female Vocalist” in Cashbox. This is certainly a milestone for any instrumentalist.
Since then, Bobbi has received numerous awards and citations for her music, including the keys to cities for the United States and a Congressional Appointment to the Community Advisory Committee, awards for her business accomplishments and high ethics from the City of New York, “Dollars and Sense” magazine, and was featured in financial section of Billboard Magazine. However, Humphrey’s longevity on the charts has been her greatest award.
“Passion Flute" was recently re-released and continues to be one of her fans’ all-time favorite recording.
Bobbi Humphrey has been playing her special brand of music to audiences around the world. Her professional career began in 1971 when she was the first female signed to Blue Note Records.
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