Bob Boykin

Bob Boykin is an American musician, session musician, composer, and producer, best known as a guitarist. He has recorded with producers such as Quincy Jones, Teo Macero (produced: Miles Davis, Robert Palmer, Billie Holiday) and dozens of artists, notably Pam Tillis, Dr. Hook, Eddie Van Halen, Meat Loaf, John Schneider, Kenny Rogers, Gary Puckett, Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, and Liza Minnelli. He has written and produced original songs and scores for movies and television shows including Sex and the City, Married People, The West Wing, The X-Files, and Married... with Children.

Bob Boykin
Bob Boykin on Guitar
Background information
Birth nameRobert Boykin
Born(1952-09-24)September 24, 1952
Georgia, U.S.
DiedFebruary 22, 2020(2020-02-22) (aged 67)
Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
GenresRock, Blues, Jazz, Country, R&B
Occupation(s)Guitarist, composer, producer
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1969–2020
LabelsCrossroads Int'l Records
Websitebobboykin.com

Today, Bob divides his time between Los Angeles and Nashville.

Career

Bob grew up on a farm outside of Savannah, on a dirt road in south Georgia. He began playing music professionally by age 16 in the local clubs in Savannah. Soon after high school he moved to Nashville, where he started working as a studio guitarist and songwriter, working with many of Nashville's top stars in the studio and on the Grand Ole Opry.

He first came to Los Angeles in the mid 80s for a recording session for his first solo CD with many of LA's top studio musicians. A few years later, he returned to LA again. It wasn't long before he played on his first television show as a side man, for Marvel Comics Saturday morning cartoon shows and the hit TV series MacGyver. It was during that time he teamed up with Grammy winning Saxophonist Ernie Watts, and produced many collaborative original works, including the Billboard Top Ten song "Language of the Heart" which appears on the Ernie Watts Quartet album. Soon after that he began composing songs and main titles for Columbia Pictures, Sony, Glen Larson at 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers and MGM. His original songs and scores have been heard on hit shows such as Sex and the City, West Wing, The X-Files, Chris Isaak Show, Married People, Fame, Route 66, Married... with Children, Sea Hunt, L. A. Firefighters and Moon Over Miami (with members of the "Tonight Show Band") and feature films like Toy Story, Chicken Run, Red Surf, Keys To Tulsa, Sister Sister, Flypaper, AFI, Women in Film- Steven Spielberg, Down The Barrel, and Take The Lead (starring Antonio Banderas) to name a few. Bob was later hired as the weekly composer and music producer of the #1 ABC weekly prime-time series Married People including composing the main & end titles, produced by Columbia Pictures/Sony.

He has composed for dozens of film and television shows including themes and soundtracks to his recording credit.

His solo CD, Hazardous Material was released in 1997 and featured players from across the music spectrum including Ernie Watts, Abraham Laboriel, Brian Bromberg, Jimmy Earl, Neil Stubenhaus, Jerry Hey, Gary Grant, Bill Rechienbach, Paul Leim, Dave Carpenter, Greg Mathieson, James Zavala, Jimmy Z, Dann Huff, Luis Conte, Joel Taylor, Pat Coil, and others.

A Guitar World magazine review stated "Four Stars – Ain't Too Proud to Shred – Firepower is the key word in this jazz/rock workout. Boykin is a ferocious soloist who segues from bop-style jazz phrases to wailing rock licks with the greatest of ease.”

Vintage Guitar magazine says....."From '70s-style funk, to blues, to killer ballad work and pretty much any jazz style you can think of, Boykin's playing shines."

Guitar International magazine names him "… a "go to" session player in Los Angeles and Nashville, with an impressive body of music that regularly finds its way into top television programs and commercials as well as major motion pictures."[1]

Filmography

YearFilm/Television showCreditsNotes
1985MacGyverMusicianEpisode: "Pilot"
1986Tough GuysMusician
1987Sea HuntComposer, Additional Music
Sister, SisterComposer, Additional Music
Back to the BeachMusician
1988Tour of DutyComposer, Additional MusicEpisode: "Under Siege"
1989Tennessee WaltzComposer, Additional Music
1990Married PeopleComposer, Additional Music
Hurricane SamComposer, Additional Music
1993Route 66Composer, Additional Music
1994Jonathan Stone: Threat of InnocenceComposer, Additional Music
1996Keys to TulsaComposer, Additional Music/Musician
L.A. FirefightersComposer, Additional MusicEpisode: "Pilot"
1997Married... with ChildrenComposer, Additional MusicEpisode: "Chicago Shoe Exchange"
OzComposer, Additional MusicEpisode "Plan B"
1998Finding GracelandComposer, Additional Music
Sex and the CityComposer, Additional MusicEpisodes: "Sex and the City", "Oh Come All Ye Faithful"
RecoilComposer
1999FlypaperComposer, Additional Music
Freeway II: Confessions of a TrickbabySongwriter/Musician
2000The X-FilesComposer, Additional MusicEpisode: "The Amazing Maleeni"
2001The Chris Isaak ShowComposer, Additional MusicEpisode: "Lost and Found"
2003Down the BarrelComposer, Additional Music
2006Collier & CoComposer, Additional Music
Take the LeadMusician

References

  1. Guitar International. "Interview with Bob Boykin". Archived from the original on February 28, 2012.
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