Bobbi Humphrey

She has been named the First Lady of the Flute by critics and listeners alike and, from the accomplishments in her musical career, deservedly so. For two decades now, Bobbi has been playing her special brand of music to audiences around the world. Her professional career began in 1971 when she was the first female signed to Blue Note Records.

Certainly a lady playing flute must have seemed something of a novelty then. Bobbi proved she was not just a "first" or a novelty, but a talent to be reckoned with. In 1973 her LP, Blacks and Blues, was not only a huge commercial success but established a strong crossover market. Also in 1973, she was invited to the prestigious Montreaux International Music Festival in Switzerland, where she was acclaimed the "surprise hit of the festival" by Leonard Feather, noted critic for the LA Times. Since then, Bobbi has continuously proved her sustaining power, for today she is the only successful female urban-pop flutist on the scene. Further proof is the fact that she was acclaimed "Best Female Instrumentalist" (1976 and 1980) by Billboard and Record World and "Best Female Vocalist" by Cashbox.

Born in Marlin, Texas and raised in Dallas, Bobbi's training on the flute began in high school and continued through her years at Texas Southern University and Southern Methodist University. It was there that Dizzy Gillespie spotted her when he judged a school-wide talent competition. With Gillespie's encouragement to pursue a career in New York City, Bobbi wrote a letter to New York's famed Apollo Theatre. She soon received a telegram telling her, "We have reserved a place for you on Amateur Night." She needed no more convincing, nor did it take long for her to find her spot in the music industry.

More info:

http://www.melanet.com/yebbg/bobi.html

http://www.bluenote.com/Bio.asp?ArtistID=3256