Bobby Lewis Bobby Lewis Robert Alan Lewis (born February 9, 1925) is an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer, best known for his 1961 hit single "Tossin' and Turnin'". Lewis was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and learned to play the piano by age six, despite very poor eyesight. Adopted at age twelve, he moved to a home in Detroit, Michigan. Growing up with the influences of the pioneer blues musicians until the advent of rock and roll, Lewis began to build a musical career in the 1950s. He moved to New York City. In July 1961, his recording of
The High Spirits artists. The group's first hit was a raveup of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "(Turn on Your) Love Light," recorded on May 7, 1965 and issued on Soma Records. The B side was "Tossin' and Turnin'," recorded at the same session. The record did well in the Twin Cities, and hit Number 1 in both Kansas City (the band performed in KC on two occasions) and Dallas during the fall of 1965, and also was beginning to do well in California and Colorado. A Top 40 chart from San Jose in September 1965 showed that the record was ranked Number 33 in