Bob Summers

Bob Summers is an American guitarist, trumpeter, arranger, and film score composer. After working as an independent musician, he composed and conducted music for several Hollywood productions from the late 1960s through the early 2010s.

He is the brother of singer Mary Ford.

Bob Summers was born Robert Eugene Summers to Dorothy May White Summers and Marshall McKinley Summers (1896—1981), a Nazarene minister, who later became a painting contractor. He had six siblings—Byron Fletcher Summers, Esther E. Williams, Carol Jean Corona, Bruce Summers, Eva Summers Wootten, and Mary Ford. Mary Ford (1924—1977) was a guitarist and vocalist who was part of a musical duo with her husband, the jazz legend Les Paul. His other sisters were also singers, though not as famous. The sisters were the vocalists on Foy Willing's 1962 album The New Sound of American Folk, which was recorded at Bob's Sound House Recorders in El Monte, California. His other sister, Eva was married to bassist Red Wootten.

Summers got his start in music at a young age. He started recording in his early teens when he set up a little studio in his garage. He also took inspiration from his sister Mary and her husband Les Paul. He learned to play guitar in those years.

After graduating high school, Summers opened his own professional studio. Shortly after, he produced Larry Hall's one-hit-wonder "Sandy" in 1959. The disc reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

He also formed a musical duo "Bob And Jerry" with Jerry LeFors and made a few recordings—"Ghost Satellite" / "Who's Gonna Cry For Me" (1958) and "Parade Rock" / "Pad" (1959), produced by Voyle Gilmore. "Parade Rock" and "Pad" were included in Capitol's compilation album Capitol Single Record Release 668/669 (1959). Other artists featured on the album were: The Andrews Sisters, Esquerita, Rinky Dinks, and Skeets McDonald.

Summers was then signed to Capitol Records and recorded a few singles—"Excitement" / "Rattle Rhythm" (1959) and "Twelfth Street Rag" / "Little Brown Jug" (1960).

In the following years, Summers formed his “Sleepy Summers And Orchestra” and recorded "Strange Cargo" and "Everybodys Happy" (Gold Leaf Records, 1961). On Challenge Records, he released rock/surf tracks "One-Stop" / "Scramble" (1962) and "Young And Lonely" (1963).

In 1964, Summers' sister Mary Ford separated from her husband Les Paul. In 1966, she was contacted by bandleader Foy Willing to work together. Mary agreed, but on the condition that Bob would be her guitarist and her sisters would be the vocalists. Following that, he began performing in Reno, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

Around that time, Summers formed an alliance with record producer Mike Curb who composed music for television and movies. Summers served as the producer, arranger, and musical director for Curb's vocal group Mike Curb Congregation. In 1967, Summers and Curb provided music for Stephanie Rothman's musical comedy It's a Bikini World starring Deborah Walley, Tommy Kirk, Bobby Pickett, and Suzie Kaye.

Also in 1967, Bob Summers And His Orchestra recorded “Ode To Billy Joe” / “Chocktaw Ridge”.

After Curb entered politics, Summers continued to compose and conduct for films and television. In a few of the productions, he worked with Don Perry Music, a company affiliated with DiC Entertainment at the time. Some of his notable works include:

With his group Bob Summers Ensemble, he covered songs written by Lois Irwin in the album The Songs Of Lois Irwin for Christian Faith Recordings.

• 1967: Teenage Rebellion
• 1967: It's a Bikini World
• 1976: Grand Jury
• 1976: Elmer
• 1976: Adventures of Frontier Fremont
• 1976: The Amazing World of Psychic Phenomena
• 1976: Guardian of the Wilderness
• 1977: The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (TV series)
• 1977: The Lincoln Conspiracy
• 1977: Last of the Mohicans (TV)
• 1977: Incredible Rocky Mountain Race (TV)
• 1978: Beyond and Back
• 1978: Donner Pass: The Road to Survival (TV)
• 1978: Greatest Heroes of the Bible (feuilleton TV)
• 1978: The Deerslayer (TV)
• 1979: Charlie and the Talking Buzzard
• 1979: In Search of Historic Jesus
• 1979: Beyond Death's Door
• 1979: Guyana: Crime of the Century
• 1980: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (TV)
• 1981: Earthbound
• 1981: The Adventures of Nellie Bly (TV)
• 1981: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (TV)
• 1982: The Boogens
• 1982: The Fall of the House of Usher (TV)
• 1982: Born to the Wind (TV series)
• 1983: Uncommon Valor (TV)
• 1983: One Dark Night
• 1984: In Search of a Golden Sky
• 1985: The Annihilators
• 1986: The Malibu Bikini Shop
• 1987: Body Count
• 1988: Rock-A-Die Baby
• 1990: Murder by Numbers
• 1991: Twenty Dollar Star
• 1991: Goin' to Chicago
• 1991: Frame Up
• 1991: Death Falls
• 1993: The Incredible Discovery of Noah's Ark (TV)
• 1996: Cover-up (Frame-Up II: The Cover-Up)