Biography
Hailing from Florida, the vocal duo James & Bobby Purify notched a major 1966 success with “I’m Your Puppet,” a single that climbed to number six on the pop chart and number five on the R&B side. Although frequently likened to Sam & Dave, the pair distinguished themselves through more emotionally layered songs and deliberate pacing, often delivering lines from the viewpoint of men confronting the difficulties of romance and existence. They alternated lead parts or blended in tight harmonies, and their strongest recordings benefited from the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section’s polished support. Their first long-player, the self-titled 1967 set, stands as the high point of their discography, while the 2002 compilation Shake a Tail Feather: The Best of James & Bobby Purify offers a strong survey of their output.
Guitarist and singer Robert Dickey had already logged years as a professional R&B musician when he joined the Dothan Sextet, a Pensacola-based soul ensemble. Once settled in that role, he welcomed his cousin James Purify into the group as a backing vocalist; after lead singer Sam McClain, also known as Mighty Sam, departed, James stepped forward as the new frontman. Local producer, promoter, and radio personality Don Schroeder, alerted by McClain, caught a performance and was sufficiently impressed to sign both cousins for a solo project. He dispatched them to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where they worked with noted producer and songwriter Dan Penn. During one session Penn proposed cutting a tune he had co-written with Spooner Oldham, and as the arrangement for “I’m Your Puppet” took shape, James’s harmonies evolved into shared leads, revealing an easy interplay between the relatives. Recognizing the chemistry, Dickey adopted the stage name Bobby Purify; the cousins then secured a Bell Records contract that placed “I’m Your Puppet” in stores in September 1966, propelling them to instant prominence during its fourteen-week chart run.
The following year brought three additional Top 40 pop entries—“Wish You Didn’t Have to Go,” “Shake a Tail Feather,” and “Let Love Come Between Us”—while “I Take What I Want” stalled at number 41. Their debut album arrived in 1967, followed in 1968 by the second LP, The Pure Sound of the Purifys. By the time that release appeared, their pop-chart momentum had faded; the year’s biggest single, “I Can Remember,” reached only number 51 on the pop side yet performed better on the R&B listings. The pair continued touring until 1971, when health issues prompted Robert Dickey’s retirement.
James Purify persisted alone until 1974, when Dan Penn recommended veteran soul singer Ben Moore as a replacement partner. Moore assumed the Bobby Purify identity, and the reconstituted duo signed with Casablanca Records. They issued You & Me Together Forever in 1975; although “Do Your Thing” reached number 30 on the R&B Singles chart, the album attracted little attention. A subsequent move to Mercury yielded 1977’s Purify Brothers, which featured a re-recorded “I’m Your Puppet” that charted in the United Kingdom but made scant impact stateside. That release marked the end of their recording career together, although Moore and James Purify maintained an active stage partnership.
Throughout the 1970s Moore also released solo material under the Bobby Purify name and later pursued gospel work both independently and as a member of the Blind Boys of Alabama. In 2005 he issued the Dan Penn-produced soul album Better to Have It. Robert Dickey passed away in Tallahassee on December 29, 2011, at age 72. James Purify died in Pensacola on January 22, 2021, at age 76 after complications from COVID-19.
Guitarist and singer Robert Dickey had already logged years as a professional R&B musician when he joined the Dothan Sextet, a Pensacola-based soul ensemble. Once settled in that role, he welcomed his cousin James Purify into the group as a backing vocalist; after lead singer Sam McClain, also known as Mighty Sam, departed, James stepped forward as the new frontman. Local producer, promoter, and radio personality Don Schroeder, alerted by McClain, caught a performance and was sufficiently impressed to sign both cousins for a solo project. He dispatched them to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where they worked with noted producer and songwriter Dan Penn. During one session Penn proposed cutting a tune he had co-written with Spooner Oldham, and as the arrangement for “I’m Your Puppet” took shape, James’s harmonies evolved into shared leads, revealing an easy interplay between the relatives. Recognizing the chemistry, Dickey adopted the stage name Bobby Purify; the cousins then secured a Bell Records contract that placed “I’m Your Puppet” in stores in September 1966, propelling them to instant prominence during its fourteen-week chart run.
The following year brought three additional Top 40 pop entries—“Wish You Didn’t Have to Go,” “Shake a Tail Feather,” and “Let Love Come Between Us”—while “I Take What I Want” stalled at number 41. Their debut album arrived in 1967, followed in 1968 by the second LP, The Pure Sound of the Purifys. By the time that release appeared, their pop-chart momentum had faded; the year’s biggest single, “I Can Remember,” reached only number 51 on the pop side yet performed better on the R&B listings. The pair continued touring until 1971, when health issues prompted Robert Dickey’s retirement.
James Purify persisted alone until 1974, when Dan Penn recommended veteran soul singer Ben Moore as a replacement partner. Moore assumed the Bobby Purify identity, and the reconstituted duo signed with Casablanca Records. They issued You & Me Together Forever in 1975; although “Do Your Thing” reached number 30 on the R&B Singles chart, the album attracted little attention. A subsequent move to Mercury yielded 1977’s Purify Brothers, which featured a re-recorded “I’m Your Puppet” that charted in the United Kingdom but made scant impact stateside. That release marked the end of their recording career together, although Moore and James Purify maintained an active stage partnership.
Throughout the 1970s Moore also released solo material under the Bobby Purify name and later pursued gospel work both independently and as a member of the Blind Boys of Alabama. In 2005 he issued the Dan Penn-produced soul album Better to Have It. Robert Dickey passed away in Tallahassee on December 29, 2011, at age 72. James Purify died in Pensacola on January 22, 2021, at age 76 after complications from COVID-19.
Albums
