ArtistInfo

Bob Taylor

CA
Pop

"Fat Bob, the Singing Plumber" from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Bob Taylor was born in Leamington, Ontario, Canada and moved to the United States in 1941. He attended High School in East Lansing, then went to Michigan State University for one year before joining the U.S. Air Force. While in the service, he began singing and landed a special services assignment as a result. After the Air Force, Bob began a sting of night club appearances. But singing jobs were hard to come by, so Bob joined his Father-in-law's plumbing firm and began earning his Master's Plumbing License. However, with singing still in his blood, he later decided to begin formally studying music and began voice training with the distinguished University of Michigan voice coach, Millard Cates. Bob would later win a Metropolitan Opera audition, but turned down a scholarship to study in New York, decideding to continue working as a plumber to support his family. One day in 1965, from a job site, Bob called into legendary WJR (Detroit) Host J.P. McCarthy's radio show and sung an aria on-air. This was the beginning of what’s known in showbiz as the "Big Break". Call-ins to WJR by “The Singing Plumber” became frequent, and he quickly became a regular, over the years, booking the show’s most appearances of any celebrity. By that summer, Fat Bob, the Singing Plumber had become the star National Anthem guy for the Detroit Tigers, then special guest performer at Lions and Red Wing events. After a career of regional fame, appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, offers from the NY Met (declined), a couple of successful pop albums, and plenty of Las Vegas exposure, Fat Bob passed away in 1995. (Bio info from album liner notes and the LET's Blog by L.E. Taylor)