Lobo

Roland Kent LaVoie, born July 31, 1943, in Tallahassee, Florida, performed and recorded under the Lobo alias and earned lasting recognition for enduring soft-rock staples that included “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo” and “I’d Love You to Want Me.” At age 17 he became a member of the Rumors, a group that also featured future standouts such as country-rock trailblazer Gram Parsons, country-pop humorist Jim Stafford, and respected drummer Jon Corneal. LaVoie later enrolled at the University of South Florida, where he joined the Sugar Beats and made his first appearance on record with their 1964 single “What Am I Doing Here?” Although that ensemble disbanded quickly, it launched an extended partnership between LaVoie and fellow member Phil Gernhard, who would go on to produce every Lobo hit; the pair also oversaw Jim Stafford’s well-known tracks “Spiders & Snakes” and “Wildwood Weed.” Subsequent spells with the Little-Known Uglies and Me & the Other Guys preceded LaVoie’s first solo release, the 1969 single “Happy Days in New York City.”

Two years afterward he cut “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.” Recognizing the song’s commercial promise yet concerned about being pigeonholed as a novelty act, he chose the Lobo pseudonym; once the single reached the Top Five in spring 1971, many listeners assumed it came from a band rather than an individual. The resulting album Introducing Lobo also contained the modest chart entries “I’m the Only One” and “California Kid.”

Despite his initial plan, LaVoie kept the Lobo name for the 1972 follow-up Of a Simple Man, and the decision proved successful. That record delivered his strongest chart performance with “I’d Love You to Want Me” and another Top Ten entry, “Don’t Expect Me to Be Your Friend.” On 1973’s Calumet, Lobo secured three additional Top 40 singles: “It Sure Took a Long, Long Time,” “How Can I Tell Her,” and “Standing at the End of the Line.” Commercial fortunes faded after “Don’t Tell Me Goodnight,” drawn from the 1975 album A Cowboy Afraid of Horses, although he still managed a number-23 hit in 1979 with “Where Were You When I Was Falling in Love,” after which his chart activity ceased. Following a brief tenure at Elektra, he launched his own Lobo Records imprint in 1981 (later renamed Evergreen), issued several modestly received singles, and withdrew from live performance in 1985. Lobo resumed activity in 1989 with the Taiwan-only album Am I Going Crazy, an effort that underscored his continued appeal across Asia. In 1995 he joined the Singapore-based Pony Canyon roster and issued several further albums, among them Asian Moon, Sometimes, and You Must Remember This.