Bobby Freeman

In the late 1950s and mid-1960s, two R&B dance hits featured the lively singing of Bobby Freeman. Born in San Francisco, he launched the Romancers at age 14 before establishing the West Coast Vocaleers, a group whose pop leanings distinguished it from its Harlem namesake. His 1958 Josie release "Do You Want to Dance" climbed to number two on the R&B listings for a pair of weeks without reaching the summit, while also hitting number five on the pop side. That track marked one of three successes he scored on the label during the year, though "Betty Lou Got a New Pair of Shoes" and "Need Your Love" peaked at numbers 20 and 29. Capitalizing on the 1964 dance fad, "C'mon and Swim" became his next Top Ten R&B entry at number five for Autumn. The subsequent "S-W-I-M" fared less well, stalling at number 56, and these Autumn sides represented his last appearances on the R&B charts.