Biography

The American performer known as Bobbi Humphrey was born Barbara Ann Humphrey in 1950 in Marlin, Texas. Young Bobbi grew up in Dallas, and long before she rose to fame as an accomplished jazz-style flautist, she studied classical and jazz while still attending high school, establishing a reputation for her talent and skill.

By the time she was in college, attending Texas Southern University (and later Southern Methodist), she’d caught the attention of none other than Dizzy Gillespie, who noticed Bobbi while she was performing at a talent show. Gillespie eventually arranged for Bobbi to appear at the Apollo Theater for their amateur night, and pretty soon Bobbi was a regular on the jazz scene, performing with Gillespie and other greats such as Duke Ellington.

By the early 1970’s, Bobbi had secured her first recording contract with Blue Note, and released her debut album, Flute In (1971.)  The highly successful album garnered Humphrey significant critical acclaim, and paved the way for the follow-up albums: Dig This! (1972),  Blacks and Blues (1973), Bobbi Humphrey Live: Cookin’ with Blue Note at Montreux (1973), Satin Doll (1974), Fancy Dancer (1975), Tailor Made (1977), Freestyle (1978), City Beat (1989), and Passion Flute (1994. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, Bobbi Humphrey began releasing material on Epic and Warner Bros., until in the early 1990’s, Humphrey established her own record label, Paradise Sounds.

Bobbi Humphrey continues to perform and record, appearing at such high-profile venues as the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and the Apollo Theater.