He was now touring Europe, Australia and
Africa. It was at Dobie’s insistence to the
South African Government and promoters that
he would play only to integrated audiences,
which led to his becoming the first artist
to do so in that country. His
standing-room-only appearances there
garnered eight gold singles, four platinum
albums and an unprecedented nine concert
tours. He remains one of South Africa’s most
popular and enduring recording Artists.
In the U.S., Dobie went on to record for the
Infinity (which became all too Finite - all
too soon) and Capricorn labels, before
signing with Nashville based,
Capitol/EMI/America. His three, Capitol
albums resulted in two chart singles,
"That’s One To Grow On" and the
unforgettable "From Where I Stand."
Dobie spent the next several years
concentrating on songwriting. Many of his
compositions have been recorded by a myriad
of music industry Immortals: Ray Charles,
Johnny Mathis, George Jones, Don Williams,
Exile, John Conlee, Tammy Wynette, Etta
James, Jodice, Nina Simone, Charlie Pride,
Conway Twitty, Brook Benton, Three Dog
Night, Julio Iglesias, John Denver, Paul
Rogers, Razzy Bailey, B.J. Thomas, and a
number of other talented Artists. |
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Mentor Williams |
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Paul
Williams |
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Moreover, Dobie also has an impressive
number of national radio and TV commercials
to his credit: Procter & Gamble, Chrysler
Corp., Ultra Slimfast, Oscar Mayer,
Chevrolet, Buick, Kraft, Coca-Cola,
Allstate, Sunbeam, Budweiser, MacDonald’s,
American Movie Classics and a little Reggae,
ditty called "Momma’s Got The Magic Of
Clorox 2.
Inspired by the demand from his fans and the
encouragement of friends and peers to go
back into the studio, he did just that.
Released In 1999, "Diamond Cuts," his first
studio offering in many years, is a
collection of carefully chosen gems of the
caliber that has become the unmistakable
hallmark of Dobie’s music, comprising
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recordings of his greatest
hits, some of his new compositions, and
renditions of many of the all-time great
standards, including his electrifying
version of Roy Orbison’s classic, "It’s
Over." Thankfully, for Dobie, and for his
following, it is far from over.
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In 2003, Dobie was invited by Rap Artist,
Uncle Kracker, to sing on his version of
"Drift Away." The rest, as they say, is
history. The second time around, "Drift
Away" stayed in the charts at # 1 for
twenty-eight weeks.
Today, audiences all over the world are
still enchanted by the charismatic,
intoxicating intimacy of one of the great
voices of our time. Now in the works, his
new CD, from Dobie Gray Productions, is
scheduled for release in mid-2008.
Perhaps Dobie sums it up best: "My goal is
to create the kind of music that makes
memories for my audience - music that they
will want to revisit time and again. Songs
from the heart! " |
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