Tallahassee native Robert Lee Dickey was part of the famed R&B duo James & Bobby Purify in the late 1960s and was inducted into the “Follow That Dream: Florida’s Rock & Roll Legends” exhibition at the Museum of Florida History in 2000.
In the 1960s, radio stations had a “Top 40” format where music from all genres was played. The Beach Boys surf sound may have been followed by the gritty Rolling Stones or one of the Motown groups from Detroit.
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Tallahassee native Robert Lee Dickey was part of the famed R&B duo James & Bobby Purify in the late 1960s.
There were also the soulful sounds directly from the South like James & Bobby Purify. The duo had several Billboard hits in the mid to late ‘60s. These included “I’m Your Puppet” and “Shake a Tail Feather” in 1966, and “Let Love Come Between Us,” in 1967. “Shake a Tail Feather” was performed by Ray Charles in the 1980 movie “The Blues Brothers.”
How it began
Dickey, already an accomplished guitarist, stopped by the Club 40 in Midway, Florida, in 1963 to see the Alabama band Dothan Sextet perform. For whatever reason, one of the guitar players quit on the spot and walked away. Robert was invited to the stage and was immediately accepted into the band.
In 1965, the Dothan Sextet teamed up with rising star Otis Redding and toured the southeast. Along the way, Dickey met most of the R&B royalty such as Wilson Pickett, Curtis Mayfield, and the “Hardest Working Man in Show Business” James Brown.
Robert Lee Dickey was part of the famed R&B duo James & Bobby Purify in the late 1960s.
Later, the band relocated to Pensacola where Robert met James Purify. He adopted Purify as his stage name and the duo was formed. Contrary to the popular belief at the time, the two were not related.
One evening in August, 1966, while playing at Tom’s Tavern on Gonzales Street in Pensacola, they were introduced to talent scout “Papa Don” Schroeder. Schroeder arranged for them to record “I’m Your Puppet” at the FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The record was released in September, 1966, charted for 14 weeks in the U.S. and sold 1 million copies. They were on their way.
By 1967, the duo was headlining at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem and living large. The continued to tour and perform until 1971 when Robert decided to drop out of the fast-paced business and returned to Tallahassee.
Tallahassee native Robert Lee Dickey was part of the famed R&B duo James & Bobby Purify in the late 1960s.
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Returning home
After returning to his home town, Dickey eventually became the building superintendent at the Tallahassee Police Department where I met him.
Located at 234 East 7th Avenue, the police department building had been cobbled together from the old Sealey Elementary School. With various remodeling and add-ons, the old building was prone to leaks and mold so he always had plenty to do.
Robert was a quiet, humble man. I had no idea who he was. Once, when I was talking to him, he casually mentioned that he had toured England in a band. Given time, he gradually opened up about his past life, the hit records, and all of the R&B greats he had met and performed with.
As an old saxophone player, albeit a terrible one, I was familiar with all his recordings. Over time, he shared stories about when the duo was in its heyday.
As young musicians, their focus was on the music, not the business end of the industry. The money flowed out as fast as it came in. Between agents, lawyers, and the usual ill-intended opportunists, they never received the proceeds they were entitled to.
Church music
Robert became a member of the Greater Saint Mark Primitive Baptist Church in Tallahassee where he served on the Deacon’s ministry. He continued to play guitar, mentor young musicians, and was a member of the Bethlehem Male Singers for over 30 years. He died on Dec. 29, 2011.
Phil Kiracofe, retired Tallahassee Police sergeant, and I had the honor of attending his funeral on Jan. 7. His funeral was a celebration and featured a musical tribute by his fellow gospel musicians.
It was a display of both love and complex protocols. Several ministers spoke and two bands performed. In keeping with the pageantry, he was in a beautiful white coffin, with a glass front, wearing a white tuxedo holding a white electric guitar.
His final resting place is in the Greater Saint Mark cemetery located at the corner of U.S. 27 North and Old Bainbridge Road.
I’m guessing he’s still shaking that tail feather in the great beyond.
David Brand, Law Enforcement Coordinator of the Florida Sheriffs Association, is an occasional guest columnist for the Tallahassee Democrat and lives in St. Teresa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Remembering Bobby Purify: R&B artist got start in Tallahassee
