About Bobby Emmons
Lived 1943 – 2015 (aged 72). Bobby Emmons was an American musician, songwriter and pianist.
Bobby Gene Emmons (February 19, 1943 – February 23, 2015) was an American keyboard player and songwriter. He was an active session musician in Memphis, Tennessee, and was the keyboardist of the Memphis Boys, playing keyboards on tracks by Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and many others from the 1950s onward. His compositions included "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)", written with Chips Moman and recorded by Waylon Jennings; and "Love Me Like You Used To", co-written with Paul Davis and recorded by both Johnny Cash and Tanya Tucker.
Emmons was born in Corinth, Mississippi, and began performing when at high school. In 1960 he joined Bill Black's band and toured widely with Black, both nationally in the US and internationally. He began playing keyboards in the house band at Hi Records around 1963, before moving to Chips Moman's American Sound Studio as a session musician. Among the many records on which he played keyboards in the 1960s and 1970s were Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" and "In the Ghetto", Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man", Merrilee Rush's "Angel of the Morning", and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline". He also played on many of Willie Nelson's albums and toured internationally with The Highwaymen.
He died in Nashville in 2015, aged 72.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Bobby Emmons's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Bobby Emmons's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Bobby Emmons?
American musician (1943-2015)
When was Bobby Emmons born?
Bobby Emmons was born on 19 February 1943 in Corinth.
When did Bobby Emmons die?
Bobby Emmons died on 23 February 2015 in Nashville.
What was Bobby Emmons's occupation?
Bobby Emmons was a musician, songwriter and pianist.
What nationality was Bobby Emmons?
Bobby Emmons was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bobby Emmons. https://biography.guide/bobby-emmons/
MLA: "Bobby Emmons." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bobby-emmons/.
Chicago: "Bobby Emmons." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bobby-emmons/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:30 UTC