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| Tourism-Art, Music, and
Museums- Bobbie"Mercy" Oliver |
 Bobbie “Mercy” Oliver was born in 1939 in
Atlanta, Texas. He was one of twelve children born to former
sharecroppers, Claude and Mary Lee Oliver. His father was musically
gifted and played the guitar and entertained his family after a hard
day’s work. Bobbie inherited this talent, and taught himself to play
on a cheap Sears & Roebuck guitar that his sister ordered for
him (to the surprise of his father when the bill came). Bobbie was
influenced by Jimmy Reed, who combined the harmonica and guitars
with vocals. Bobbie also taught himself to play the harmonica.
Shortly after graduation from high school, he moved to Chicago.
In Chicago, he formed his own blues band, the Oliver Family Trio. The band consisted of his sister, Mary, on bass guitar; his wife on drums; and Bobbie on guitar and harmonica. He was one of the first performers to play Slim Harpo’s Scratch My Back – a standard for Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Junior Parker, Elvis Presley, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Chuck Berry. It remains a staple in his repertoire. Bobbie formed his present band, Jam City Revue, in 1994 with just a drummer – Eddie Robbins. Eddie’s brother, Kenny, joined them on the Congo’s and percussions. Sister Mary joined in on bass guitar, and brother, Freddy on the drums. When Mary and Freddy left the band, Bobbie taught his nephew K. T. Turner to play the bass. Today the band consists of Bobbie “Mercy” Oliver on rhythm guitar, harmonica, and vocals; K. T. Turner on bass and vocals; Booker Carpenter on drums and percussion's, and Winston (Commando) Watson from Jamaica on lead and vocals, Jamaican music and Reggae and percussion. Jam City Revue is an East Texas treasure, having appeared in numerous annual festivals and music events in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. They have performed on Beale Street in Memphis. Bobbie and his band continue to share his music from his home in Marshall, Texas. On June 17, 2006 Bobbie Oliver & Jam City Revue were the premiere band for the inaugural T-Bone Walker Blues Fe st. Bobbie will be a regular featured performer for The T-Bone. |
| Linden Economic Development Corporations | ledc@lindentexas.org |
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| 201 N. Main Linden, TX 75563 |
(903) 756-7774 Fax: (903) 756-7842 |
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Linden Economic Development Corporations. All Rights
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