Born Robert Guidry in Abbeville, Louisiana, in 1938, he became famous as songwriter under his birth name, but also had success as a recording artist under the name Bobby Charles.

A pioneer of the Louisiana-based Swamp Pop style, alongside Jimmy Clanton, characterised by recordings emanating from Cosimo Matassa’s studio in New Orleans, where Fats Domino, a noted beneficiary of Guidry’s songs, made his records.

Charles started out as leader of local group, The Cardinals, for whom he wrote a song called Hey Alligator at the age of 14. The song was inspired by an incident at a roadside diner, when his parting shot to a friend – “See you later, alligator” – inspired another customer to respond with: “In a while, crocodile.”

The popularity of the song led a record-store owner to recommend Guidry to Leonard Chess of the Chicago-based Chess Records label. After Bobby had sung it over the phone, Chess signed him up. He travelled to New Orleans to record the song and several others under the name Bobby Charles.

Chess issued Charles’ Later Alligator in January 1956, but it was soon recorded as See You Later, Alligator by Bill Haley & His Comets, whose version sold 1m copies in the US. Although Charles performed alongside big names such as Little Richard, the Platters and Chuck Berry on tours in the late 1950s, his own records for Chess, Imperial and Jewel did not sell that well.

Nevertheless, he enjoyed songwriting royalties from hit versions of songs he had co-written, such as Walking To New Orleans, recorded by Fats Domino in 1960, and But I Do, recorded by Clarence “Frogman” Henry in 1961.

This 55-track set comprises his A- and B-sides for the Chess and Imperial labels alongside those covers recorded by Bill Haley, Fats Domino, and Clarence “Frogman” Henry.

TRACKS