Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Mark Frost, Chronicle Editor
A lot of people aren’t just sad that Bobby Dick has passed away, we’re shocked. He spread so much joy and so bolstered community morale for more than half a century that we counted on having him forever.
In year-one of The Chronicle, in the summer of 1981, our 4th of July issue loomed incredibly large — not just to our success but to our survival. We needed a front-page story that would put The Chronicle on the map, score with locals and win the summer people too.
So who was our front-page subject? Bobby Dick. “Brooklyn to Lake George,” the headline said.
“Bobby Dick was an Italian kid from Brooklyn,” our story began. “He was 17 years old. In the summer of 1963, he came to Lake George. ‘It was one of my greatest summers,’ he said. ‘The lake was a different lake, then. It just seemed Lake George was very college, not so much family. Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, people partied. Times were different, then. For a dollar’s worth of gas and three dollars for drinks — for a $5 bill — you were set for a night in Lake George.’”
Bobby was a rock and roller, ready always for the show, for the party, able to propel any crowd onto the dance floor, from buzzed up bar goers to Aunt Mabel and Uncle Clarence at their niece’s wedding.
Bobby Dick had that smile. Bobby Dick was fun.
He was very good at what he did, had a taste of the big-time that might have led to more. Years ago he told me he should have made it Bobby Dick & The Sundowners sooner, put himself, his name, his talent out there.
What a time to be a rock and roller. The Beatles broke in 1963. “In April 1965, the Rolling Stones flew in from England for an American tour,” said our 1981 story on Bobby. “Their first stop on the tour was the Palace Theatre in Albany.” The Sundowners played that gig, too.
Ditto when the Dave Clarke Five played the RPI Fieldhouse.
The Sundowners toured with Ike & Tina Turner and the Monkees.
Bobby acknowledged he wasn’t much of a bass player, but his singing delivered the goods.
Along the way, Bobby became a northern New Yorker, for life, working a host of day jobs as well as making his music at night and on weekends.
He did a stint making paper at Finch, Pruyn. “I was working in the machine room. I was sweating bullets,” he said.
The national possibilities never quite panned out, but Bobby said, “One of the things I always loved about Glens Falls is we were always able to come back to this town, even when we were wounded. They understood….If you know you’ll always have a roost to come home to, it’s a good feeling.” Bobby loved these people, this town — and we loved him back. His family wrote on Facebook, “We want to remind you that Bobby Dick would only want to hear laughter and melodies when you speak of him! He loved being your inspiration to sing along and to get out there and dance!” We owe him nothing less.
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