The "Get Your Kicks On Route 66" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a post on the Facebook page “The Lancastrian” when I came across some facts about one of my dad’s friends. 

Bobby Troup

Guy by the name of Bobby Troup.  He was a few years older than my dad, but dad knew him from stopping in his family’s music store at 38 West King Street when he needed his trumpet repaired or needed sheet music.  Bobby was born 100 years ago this month in nearby Harrisburg.  As a young boy he moved with his family to 1140 Wheatland Avenue in Lancaster. He didn’t go to school with my dad in Lancaster, since his family enrolled him in a boarding school in Pottstown, PA by the name of The Hill School.  Bobby graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he met his first wife, Cynthia Hare.  While at school he was a member of the Mask and Wig Club which is where he began his musical career. 

Sammy Kaye and Bobby Troup

A song written for a Mask and Wig production, “Daddy”, became a national hit when it was recorded by Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra.  It was #1 on the Billboard Best Seller chart for 8 weeks.  After college he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he eventually became one of two dozen white officers to direct recruit training at Montford Point for the first Black Marines.  When he was 28 years old, and still had connections to his family music store in downtown Lancaster, he traveled west with his wife, writing of their trip in the lyrics of the a song that would gain him universal fame, “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” when Nat King Cole recorded the song.  It was later recorded by Chuck Berry in 1961 and The Rolling Stones in 1964.  Bobby and his wife had two daughters, Cynnie and Ronne who both had careers in the entertainment industry.  That marriage ended in divorce in 1955. 

Bobby and his second wife, Julie London

Bobby met his second wife, singer and actress Julie London, at the Celebrity Room where he was singing.  Troup encouraged London to pursue her singing career and in 1955 produced her million selling hit “Cry Me a River”.  Julie had previously been married to actor Jack Webb of “Dragnet” fame.  Julie and Bobby had one daughter, Kelly and twin sons, Jody and Reese Troup. 

Bobby and Julie in Emergency

Bobby’s own recordings weren’t successful, but he did write the title song for the 1950s rock ‘n roll movie “The Girl Can’t Help It” which was sung by Little Richard.  Then in the mid-1950s Bobby was one of the regular panelists in the game show "Musical Chairs" which lasted on NBC for two years.  The Troup Group provided much of the music in the game show.  He was also host of ABC’s Stars of Jazz.  If you are old enough you may remember him as appearing in Bop Girl Goes Calypso, The High Cost of Loving, The Five Pennies and The Gene Krupa Story.  Bobby made three guest appearances on “Perry Mason” and two appearances on “Mannix”.  Then in 1967 Jack Webb, Bobby's wife’s former husband, had Troup appear in an episode of “Dragnet”.

The cast of Emergency, with Troup on the far left.

Then in 1972 Webb once again featured Bobby  in the TV series “Emer- gency” which was created by Webb.  On Emergency he played Dr. Joe Early while his wife Julie played nurse Dixie McCall.  Bobby Troup, Lancaster resident during his childhood, died in February 1999 while his wife Julie London died the following year on his birthday.  Many towns and cities in the world have residents who have gone on to stardom of one sort or another, and my hometown of Lancaster is no different.  One of our memorable citizens was born 100 years ago today.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.