The Law One: Remembering Bobby Fuller

Celebrating a Deathday™: Vintage rock 'n roller Bobby Fuller of the Bobby Fuller Four or Five died on this day, July 18, 1966. The 7-ft. 4-in. guitar sensation responsible for the hard-charging, but respectful, anti-crime ode, “I Fought the Law (And the Law Bloody Well Won),” Fuller came and went from the scene rather quickly, dying under mysterious circumstances a short time after his record had climbed the charts. Bobby was likely at his fullest when he was found dead by his mum Loraine, of all people, in an out-of-service Memphis trolley car next to the remains of half a dozen Sonic® chili cheese dogs. The coroner refused to label Fuller a victim of food poisoning, saving the Sonic family from certain lawsuits — not to mention horrible word-of-mouth, as the marketing nitwits would have it — allowing the chain to expand their retail footprint and menu line-up, which today features such inventive tube steaks as the Wholly Guacamole® dog and the Quarter Pound Fritos® Coney. Fuller’s baffling death has been the subject of a number of AM radio hits, including “American (Meat) Pie,” “Vincent (Bugliosi Could've Solved It)” and "(White) Castles in the Air." While July 18 marked the loss of this early rock great, ‘twould also signal a rebirth, as Bobby’s bandmate and brother Randy Fuller unwisely decided to carry on as the Randy Fuller Three or perhaps Four. Bloody hell, Randy. Happy Anni-hearse-ary, Bobby Fuller.