Bobby Edwards

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Bobby Edwards, born Robert Edward Moncrief on January 18, 1926, in Anniston, Alabama, was an American country singer and songwriter. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he began recording under the name Bobby Moncrief, with his first single “Long Gone Daddy” coming out in 1958. In 1959 he revived “Jealous Heart” for Bluebonnet Records.

Edwards moved West and joined Darrell Cotton, Gib Guilbeau, and Ernie Williams to form The Four Young Men, later becoming Bobby Edwards & The Four Young Men. Their Crest Records single “You’re the Reason” became a national hit in 1961, reaching No. 4 on the country charts and No. 11 on the pop charts. The song was written by Edwards, though the writing credits went to his manager and Terry Fell.

He then moved to Capitol Records and released “What’s the Reason,” which peaked at No. 71 on the country chart. In 1963 his single “Don’t Pretend” reached No. 23 on the country chart, his last charting single.

In the late 1960s he ran a small recording studio and, in the early 1970s, recorded gospel albums. Edwards retired from the music industry in 1972 and returned to Anniston to raise a family. He lived in Smyrna, Tennessee from 2000 until his death on July 31, 2012, at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, at age 86.