Top 10 Tommy Roe Songs

Feature Photo: ABC / Dunhill Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Born Thomas David Roe on May 9, 1942, Tommy Roe grew up in Atlanta, attended Brown High School, and after graduation worked at General Electric soldering wires. He began recording while still very young, and by 1960 he had cut his original song “Sheila” for Jud Phillips’s Judd label. That first release, credited to “Tommy Roe and the Satins,” was a regional success, but the national breakthrough came after he re-recorded “Sheila” for ABC Paramount in 1962 with producer Felton Jarvis, a version built around a distinctive drum pattern that helped the record stand out on the air.

“Sheila” became a major international hit in 1962, reaching number one in the United States and Australia, and it set Roe on the road as a full time performer after ABC Paramount advanced him money to leave his steady job. That momentum carried into additional early chart success, including “Everybody,” which reached number three in the United States and number nine in the United Kingdom, and “The Folk Singer,” which reached number four in the United Kingdom. A United Kingdom tour in 1963 placed him on bills where Beatlemania could overwhelm almost anyone, and Roe soon spent an extended period living in England. During that time he kept recording and released “Diane From Manchester Square,” a single tied directly to London, though it did not find chart traction in the United Kingdom.

Roe’s mid-1960s run placed him squarely in the pop mainstream, with hits that blended rock and roll roots with radio-friendly production. “Sweet Pea” reached number eight in the United States and hit number one in Canada in 1966. “Hooray for Hazel” reached a peak at number six in the United States and number two in Canada. Those records became cornerstones of his catalog, and they helped define the upbeat, hook-centered style that listeners continued to associate with his name. At the same time, his output was steady enough to support a sizable album discography, with studio titles arriving regularly through the decade.

In 1969, Roe hit the top again with “Dizzy,” a transatlantic chart-topper that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the United Kingdom Singles Chart, and in Canada. The single sold two million copies by mid-April 1969 and earned him his third gold disc award. That era also brought a high-profile television moment, with Roe guest-starring on the sitcom Green Acres in the episode titled “The Four of Spades,” which aired on November 8, 1969. The following year delivered another major hit when “Jam Up and Jelly Tight,” co-written with Freddy Weller, peaked at number eight in the United States and number five in Canada in 1970, becoming Roe’s fourth gold record.

His recorded output extends far beyond the handful of signature singles that still dominate oldies radio. His studio album list includes fifteen titles: Sheila in 1962, Everybody Likes Tommy Roe in 1963, Something for Everybody in 1964, Sweet Pea in 1966, Phantasy in 1967, It’s Now Winter’s Day in 1967, Heather Honey in 1969, Dizzy in 1969, We Can Make Music in 1970, Beginnings in 1971, Energy in 1976, Full Bloom in 1977, Devil’s Soul Pile in 2012, Confectioner’s in 2017, and From Here to Here in 2023. As popular tastes shifted in the 1970s, he continued performing, sometimes sharing bills with Freddy Cannon and Bobby Vee, and he also recorded numerous singles in the late 1970s and 1980s aimed at the country music market.

Recognition followed the longevity. In 1986, Roe was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and his pioneering contribution to the genre has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. His legacy continues to surface in ways that underscore how deeply his early hits penetrated pop culture. A low-fidelity 1962 recording of the Beatles performing “Sheila” appeared on the bootleg album Live! at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962, and “Sweet Pea” later found a second life when it was sampled in “Lyte As A Rock” by MC Lyte on the 1988 album Lyte As A Rock.

Roe’s later years show a performer who kept returning to the work even after stepping away from the touring routine. In 2016, he published an autobiography titled From Cabbagetown to Tinseltown and places in between, co-written with Michael Robert Krikorian. He announced a retirement from scheduled concerts and interviews in 2018, then marked his eightieth birthday with the 2022 single “80,” and he appeared on oldies-oriented podcasts in 2022 and 2023, discussing his career. In early 202,3 he released From Here to Here on the independent label Solar Music, confirmed he was back to making music, and announced concert dates in Nashville on May 9 and Holmdel on June 8, his first live performances since the 2018 retirement announcement. His personal life has remained tied to Atlanta and Beverly Hills, and he was married to actress Josette Banzet until her death in 2020.

# 10 – Caveman

We thought it would be cool to open up this Tommy Roe songs list with his debut single, released in 1960, called ” Caveman. You may think I’m crazy, but this sounds like Paul Simon singing a Chuck Berry Song. Take a listen, tell me what you think.

# 9 – Susie Darlin

There is a subtle doo wop undertone to “Susie Darlin’,” and Tommy Roe’s sweet tenor fuels a recording recalling an era when this kind of melody-driven pop dominated AM radio. The song was originally written and recorded by Robin Luke and released in 1958, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot 100. Roe recorded his version in 1962 following the national success of “Sheila,” and his cover reintroduced the song to the charts, peaking at number thirty-five on the Billboard Hot 100.

# 8 – Stir It Up And Serve It

You have to dig the title of this one. It’s a pure, grooving rock-and-roll song released in 1970 on the album We Can Make Music. This was what rock was soudning like at the turn of the decade.

# 7 – Folk Singer

The song’s opening guitar riff on this one reminds me of The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” but as soon as the verse begins, it becomes an entirely different song. This was an interesting recording because it sounds nothing like his pop-rock hits. I guess everyone in the sixties had to do one of these Dylan-type songs. That is really what this one is all about.

# 6 – Jam Up and Jelly Tight

Don’t miss this video, with Tommy singing with Engelbert and those sideburns. On the charts, it reached number eight on the U.S. Hot 100 in 1970. The song was written by Tommy Roe and Freddy Weller.

# 5 – Everybody

The track “Everybody” was recorded at FAME Studios, with Norbert Putnam on bass, David Briggs on piano, Bobby West on guitar, and Jerry Carrigan on drums. The single was released on September 14, 1963, with “Sorry I’m Late, Lisa” on the B side. “Everybody” reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on the UK Singles Chart in 1963. Billboard ranked it number 38 on its year-end Top Hot 100 songs of 1963. The song later appeared on Roe’s 1966 album Sweet Pea, giving it a second place in his mid sixties album catalog.

# 4 – Hooray for Hazel

By the fall of 1966, Tommy Roe had a formula that translated directly to the singles charts, and “Hooray for Hazel” became another strong example of that momentum. Released in September 1966 on ABC Records, with “Need Your Love” on the B side, the track also appeared on Roe’s 1966 album Sweet Pea. The record kicks off with a sharp drum intro that carries an unmistakable Motown-style drive before the arrangement settles into a bright pop-rock groove. Lee Mallory provided backing vocals, reinforcing the chorus and adding texture behind Roe’s lead performance. The single reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, climbed to number 2 in Canada, hit number 1 in New Zealand, and peaked at number 28 in Australia.

# 3 – Sweet Pea

“Sweet Pea” became one of Roe’s biggest mid-sixties hits. The single reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. It reached number one in Canada. It also hit number one in New Zealand. The song climbed to number seven in Australia. It ranked number 44 on Billboard magazine’s year-end Top Hot 100 songs of 1966.

# 2 – Sheila

“Sheila,” written and recorded by Tommy Roe, became the record that pushed him onto the biggest stage in 1962, moving from an earlier attempt to a definitive re-recording on ABC Paramount. Roe first conceived the song under the title “Frita,” then changed the name after a producer suggested a new title, with the final choice inspired by his Aunt Sheila being in town. The first version was cut for Judd Records in 1960, misspelled as “Shelia,” backed with “Pretty Girl,” and recorded with his backing group the Satins and the female vocal group the Flamingos, but it did not chart

Released in 1962 with “Save Your Kisses” as the B side, the single reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on September 1, 1962, holding the top spot for two weeks, and it also peaked at number six on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart.

# 1 – Dizzy

We close out our Tommy Rose songs list with his rocking, sensational hit “Dizzy.” The song was released on November 13, 1968. Issued on ABC with “The You I Need” as the B side, “Dizzy” also anchored Roe’s album Dizzy and broke as a major transatlantic hit in 1969, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in March 1969, number one on the UK Singles Chart for one week in June 1969, and number one in Canada in March 1969, while also peaking at number two in Australia and Ireland, and at number four in Norway and West Germany. That, my friends, is major chart success. If there is one song Tommy will be remembered for, it’s this classic.