Bobby Gosh

OBITUARY

Bobby Gosh: May 31, 1936 � December 31, 2025.

Pianist, singer and songwriter Bobby Gosh passed away peacefully on December 31, 2025 surrounded by his family at home. He was 89 years old.

Born on May 31, 1936 in Stouchsburg, PA to immigrant father Hans and Margaret Gosch (n�e Zeller), Bobby�s family saw hard times in his childhood, instilling the creativity, determination, discipline and individuality that would come to define him. Bobby began classical piano study at age six and by age sixteen was on national tour as Kitty Callen�s pianist, renowned singer of the time. He studied accounting at Albright College in Reading, PA while playing Reading nightspots like The Woodward Caf� at night and graduated in 1958. It was at Albright where he met the love of his life Billi (n�e Williams). They married in 1959 and shortly after he was called to serve in the US Army Reserves. Bobby spent much of this time playing piano for the brass at the officer�s club, as he told it.

Bobby and Billi�s adventure really began when they moved to New York City in 1962. He played piano and sang in popular Manhattan nightspots such as Kenny�s Steak Pub, Jimmy Weston�s and Billy Reid�s Little Club while studying orchestration at the Juilliard School of Music during the day. It was at Billy Reid�s where Bobby met the great lyricist Sammy Cahn, beginning a songwriting partnership that included �The Need of You,� recorded by Diahann Carroll. Sammy became a mentor and friend, providing Bobby with inspiration for years to come. He also introduced Bobby to Paul Anka. Bobby went on to tour the world for two years as his pianist, orchestra conductor and co-writer. During this time Gosh sang and played on the original piano-voice demo of Paul�s song, �My Way�, which was presented to Frank Sinatra and the rest became musical history.

After returning to New York City, Bobby signed a recording contract with Polydor Records and released two albums in the early seventies. He also recorded albums and singles for ABC, Capital Records, Paramount and RCA Records. His song �A Little Bit More� was recorded by Dr. Hook and became an international hit. It reached the Top 40, peaking at #11 and #2 in the UK. His songs were recorded by many artists of diverse genres like Lynn Anderson, Bobby Bare, Eydie Gorm� & Steve Lawrence, Buddy Greco, Tommy James and The Shondells, Morgana King, Trini Lopez and The Association among others. Bobby also collaborated on several projects with his close friend, composer-lyricist Carol Hall. His songs were featured in the movies Big, Mighty Aphrodite and Happily Ever After, a CBS movie of the week. He composed, produced and sang on over 200 national radio and TV commercials including campaigns for Burger King, Pepsi-Cola and Post Honeycomb Cereal and performed on The Tonight Show and The David Frost Show. He was an opening act for Barbara Streisand�s A Happening in Central Park, her free, televised concert that aired on CBS. He also opened for Billy Joel at The Troubadour club in Los Angeles.

Bobby and his family moved to Brookfield, Vermont in 1976. He continued to release albums and singles on his record label ByGosh Music in his home recording studio. He also recorded many projects for other artists including author Bill Bryson�s audio book narration for his NYT bestseller A Walk in The Woods and several tracks on world-renowned artist Bjork�s Vespertine album.

Bobby championed musicians and initiatives in his community. He wrote children�s songs for Disney-like animatronic entertainment shows around the world and employed local elementary and high school musical students, paying them union scale. One of these projects was �Welcome to Our World of Toys�, a song composed for FAO Schwarz that was featured in their toy stores nationwide. He donated studio time to emerging bands and solo artists to record demo tapes and mentored high school seniors who chose audio engineering as their senior project topic. He wanted musicians to feel valued regardless of age or experience. He also organized, produced and performed in benefit concerts for Chandler Center for the Arts and the Brookfield Old Town Hall featuring a variety of Vermont talent. Bobby was a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and ASCAP.

Bobby also pursued other passions in Vermont. He renovated an old gas station in Randolph to an antique shop that later morphed into a restaurant, using many furnishings from the shop. On weekends it became a disco. Bobby came from a long line of horticulturists and put his green thumb to work planting a small forest on his property after taking a tree science class at Vermont Technical College. Back in the day he was known for keeping poinsettias alive long after Christmas, transforming them from potted flowers to small bushes.

Bobby was a free-thinker and straight-shooter. Idiosyncratic and kind, he was generous, honest and loyal with a dry sense of humor. A self-proclaimed �staunch atheist�, he enjoyed discussing his ideas on religion and the expansiveness of the universe. Bobby became an author in his later years and wrote Confessions of a Marijuana Eater, a memoir-in-essays on his life, beliefs and six-decade relationship with cannabis. This was followed by The NeoVictorian Residence and Art Collection of Billi and Bobby Gosh, a colorful archive of the things they lovingly collected over the years. At the time of his death, Bobby was working on another essay collection of his ideas on belief systems and our changing society.

He is survived by his wife Billi, daughter Kristina (Matthew Thomas), son Erik (Martha), grandchildren Max, Simon & Maeve, and granddog April. He is also survived by sister-in-law Laurie, niece Patricia Scott (Seth) & nephew Peter, nephew Douglas (Heather), cousin Diane Pepple (John), niece-in-law Melissa, a great niece, three great nephews, six great-grand nephews and two great-grand nieces. He was pre-deceased by his parents, brother Frederick, sister-in-law Elizabeth �Betsy�, nephew Michael (Melissa), niece-in-law Sarah (Peter), Samantha The Dog, grandcats Luna and Miette and granddog Dutch. A celebration of life will take place at a future date. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Bayada Hospice Fund at https://www.bayada.com/support.