BOBBY BARE

(1935 - )
MUSIC ::: COUNTRY ::: GRAM

Bobby Bare was never content to be just another country star. Throughout the 1960s and beyond, he became one of Nashville's greatest interpreters, building a remarkable career by recognizing exceptional songs and the writers behind them. Whether recording the work of Harlan Howard, Shel Silverstein, Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson or Billy Joe Shaver, Bare possessed a rare ability to hear greatness before the rest of the world caught up. His recordings helped define modern country music, proving that the right song, honestly performed, could outlive every trend.

One of Bobby Bare's greatest recordings was "The Streets of Baltimore," written by Harlan Howard and Tompall Glaser. Released in 1966, the song became a country classic through its understated portrait of love, sacrifice and quiet heartbreak. Years later, Gram Parsons chose to record the song for his album GP. As he had done with the Louvin Brothers, Merle Haggard and George Jones, Parsons wasn't trying to improve on Bobby Bare's version. He was introducing one of country music's finest songs to listeners who had never ventured beyond rock & roll.

"The Streets of Baltimore" would take on an even greater role in music history when it became one of the earliest recordings to feature Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris together after Gram discovered her singing in a small Georgetown club in Washington, D.C. Long before Grievous Angel, before the Hot Band and before Emmylou Harris became one of America's most celebrated voices, Bobby Bare's signature recording became the bridge that connected two artists whose partnership would forever reshape Americana music. Sometimes a great song doesn't just survive—it introduces the right people to each other.