While still a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Bobby Troup wrote “Daddy” for a production staged by the school’s Mask & Wig Club, a campus theatre group. It was recorded by Sammy Kaye and his Orchestra. The recording was a hit and it stayed at Number One on the Billboard charts for eight weeks and was one of the top songs of 1941. “Daddy” was later recorded by Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby, Kay Kyser, and The Andrews Sisters. It was even included in a 1943 Tex Avery short, sung by an animated Little Red Riding Hood.
During a stint in the US Marine Corp, Bobby organized the Marines’ first African-American band at his home base of Montford Point, North Carolina. He wrote the song “Take Me Away from Jacksonville,” which went on to become an anthem for the Marines at Montford Point.
While on a road trip to California, Bobby wrote a travelogue of sorts that became the hit song “Route 66.” It was recorded by Nat King Cole and became an instant hit. While Bobby’s own recordings were disappointing on the charts, he continued to write songs that were made popular by other artists, including the title song for the Jayne Mansfield film The Girl Can’t Help It in 1956.
With songwriting royalties as his main source of income, Bobby entered the world of acting, taking roles in episodic television and in films where he played “Tommy Dorsey” to Sal Mineo’s “Gene Krupa” in The Gene Krupa Story. In 1970, he appeared in Robert Altman’s army comedy M*A*S*H, where he holds the distinction of saying the film’s final spoken line of dialog — “Goddamned army!” His name is also the last mentioned by the PA announcer in the closing credits.
After appearing in a 1967 episode of the procedural police drama Dragnet, Bobby was hired by producer Jack Webb to star in his newest series about the adventures of the LA Country emergency services team, creatively entitled Emergency! The series would also feature Bobby’s wife, actress/singer Julie London, who was previously married to Jack Webb.
Bobby passed away early in 1999 at the age of 80. His wife, Julie London died the following year. Bobby, Julie and Jack Webb are all interred at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills cemetery.