Bobby Hebb, who sang 'Sunny' in 1966, dies at 72

Bobby Hebb, whose 1966 hit "Sunny" about a smiling girl became a pop music classic, has died. He was 72.

Family members and a funeral home spokesman said Hebb died Tuesday morning at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. The cause of death was not announced.

At the height of "Sunny's" popularity, Hebb toured with the Beatles.

"Sunny" (heard on this YouTube clip) also was recorded by many other singers, including Marvin Gaye, Wilson Pickett and Jose Feliciano.

Hebb said in several interviews that he wrote "Sunny" in response to the slaying of his brother outside a Nashville nightclub, and to the assassination a few days before of President John F. Kennedy.

As recently as 2007, he was still writing songs and had his own publishing company and record label, Hebb Cats.

-- Associated Press

Comments

[Jagexxx]

Sunny, a pop and jazz classic. RIP, Bobby. Thank you for the glorious song.

[Stephen]

The song he sang made my "Sunny" Summer of '66 a great one. Driving around So. Cali, going to the beach with friends, singing along to my AM radio, it was a song for a lifetime. Thank you always Bobby... RIP.

[ron]

thank you . my mom used to sing it to me