See You Later, Alligator

It's been a really tough week for music deaths. I'll miss you Jay and Teddy. I'll miss you too, Yabby You. But I think I'll miss Bobby Charles most of all.

Bobby had a fascinating career that spanned over 50 years. In the 50s he wrote monster hits like "See You Later, Alligator" and "Walking to New Orleans" that helped form the bedrock of swamp pop and early rock and roll. Honestly, I'm not sure what he did for most of the '60s, but by 1972 he was hanging with The Band, at which point he recorded his legendary self-titled album - his first long-player and a bona fide stone classic. It's the best Band album you've never heard. Or one of the best Louisiana rock and roll albums ever made. Seek it out immediately if you haven't heard it. (Bobby makes a brief appearance in The Last Waltz too, on "Down South in New Orleans.")

Bobby was a lifelong Louisianan and a bit of a recluse. The Oxford American ran a nice story on him a couple years ago, but it doesn't appear to be online. Still, although Bobby preferred to keep to himself, his influence was vast. One recent example is the track "Paper Cup" from the new Swell Season album 'Strict Joy.' Glen Hansard has cited Charles as the inspiriation for that song in interviews. Watch him talking about Bobby and performing the song here: