Weeki Wachee Springs nets country legend

Singer Bobby Bare was going to be in the area fishing and agreed to perform Saturday, a park spokesman says.

By JOY DAVIS-PLATT, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 15, 2002

WEEKI WACHEE -- Singer Bobby Bare, known for country hits 500 Miles, Miller's Cave and Four Strong Winds, will bring his brand of entertainment to Weeki Wachee Springs on Saturday.

"We just lucked out," said park spokesman Vince Vanni. "He's going to be down here fishing, and he agreed to do the concert."

Born and raised in Ohio, Bare got his start on local radio, then moved to Los Angeles at age 18. In 1958, he had his first hit single with the bluesy All American Boy, which he wrote after receiving his draft notice for the Army. It was a parody of Elvis Presley going into the service.

Unfortunately, the No. 2 hit on the pop charts was erroneously credited to Bill Parsons, a friend of Bare's who had recorded during the same session.

Bare later went on to record songs like Lorena and Book of Love, touring with the likes of Roy Orbison, Jay and the Americans and Bobby Darin. He made his first television appearance on American Bandstand.

Detroit City won Bare a Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording in 1963, and the singer was nominated during the next several years for Best Country and Western Single and Best Male Country and Western Vocal Performance.

Bare lives in Nashville with his wife, singer Jeannie Sterling.

If you go

Bobby Bare will perform at 2 p.m. Saturday at Weeki Wachee Springs, 6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee. Admission to the concert is part of the daily park package: $15.95 for adults; $11.95 for children 3-10; and $13.45 for seniors. For information, call 596-2062.

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