Childhood, Family & Music: Bob Shepard was born on April 28, 1927, in Phoenix, Arizona, to Chester and Dorothy Shepard. He was raised in Riverside, California, from the time of his birth to 1945. As the eldest of four boys, Bob was exposed to music from a young age. His mother, Dorothy, played the piano by ear and sang as a soloist at church, weddings, and clubs. Bob learned to play the trombone and piano, and his brothers, Gil and Wayne, learned to play hand bells.
Sports & Service: Bob was an athletic person who played baseball, football, and basketball in high school and college. He was particularly inspired by Joe DiMaggio and taught himself to pitch by practicing against the backstop in a local park's baseball field. In 1945, during his senior year of high school, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds, but he enlisted in the Navy instead and served on the U.S.S. Sargent Bay aircraft carrier until 1946. Bob remained active in sports throughout his life, particularly enjoying fast-pitch softball, and was an elite pitcher until his 60s.
Education & Work: From 1946 to 1950, Bob attended Southern California Bible College, where he studied music and Bible. After college, he continued his music education by attending L.A. City College and L.A. Pierce College. He also studied under private tutors, including Professor Roy Reid Brignall, FTCL (Trinity College of Music, London). Bob worked with Ralph Carmichael on the TV show "Campus Christian Hour," which won an Emmy in 1949.
Music Directing: In 1953, Bob organized the Bob Shepard Chorale, which performed in churches throughout southern California. He released his first album, "Songs of the Shepherd," in 1957, and his second album, "A Cappella," in 1959. Bob also worked as a music director at Eagle Rock Baptist Church and Village Church in Burbank, California, and at Chico Neighborhood Church in Chico, California.
Arranger: Bob was a talented arranger who worked for churches, universities, producers, and various musicians and Christian artists from the 1950s until his passing. He arranged music for the groups The Diamonds, The Chordettes, and Deja vu, and used software to arrange music in his later years.
Hollywood: In 1961, Bob joined SAG and AFTRA and began working as a studio musician, singing backup on album recording sessions and movies. He performed with the Ray Coniff Singers, Anita Kerr Quartet, and Lawrence Welk show, and sang backup on albums with Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Fred Waring, Elvis Presley, Doris Day, Frankie Laine, Lorne Greene, Petula Clark, Dean Martin, John Williams, Nelson Riddle, Bobby Darin, Glen Campbell, and others.
Movies: Bob sang on many movie soundtracks, including "Hawaii," "Hallelujah Trail," "Finian's Rainbow," "Green Berets," "Hurry Sundown," "Extraordinary Seaman," "Trouble with Girls," "Summer Magic," "How to Save a Marriage," and "Taras Bulba." He also acted as a soldier in the movie "Camelot."
Personal Life: Bob married Clarice Mack in 1951, and they had three children, Corinne, Rand, and Brett. Bob and Clarice were married for 53 years until his passing on January 17, 2004. Bob was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma Cancer in 1994 and went into remission for 10 years.
