web hosting short URLs photo sharing

Georgia On My Mind

Summer in Georgia, the USA, in the 1960s; a time when John F Kennedy was president of the USA and Martin Luther King was fighting for the rights of the black people in a white privileged society, a time when people were going to drive-in-movies, drinking Coca-Cola and dancing to the Rock 'n' Roll tunes belting out from the juke boxes. Amidst the Southern heat in Warner Robins, on July 25, a star was born -- Miss Bobbie Eakes.

After four daughters, Bob Eakes, a USA Air Force employee, and his wife, Audrey, a homemaker, were hoping for a son, but were blessed with another daughter instead, whom they decided to give the very boyish name, Bobbie. Born to an Air Force family, Bobbie and her four older sisters, Susan, Sharon, Sandra and Shelly, travelled a lot as youngsters, mainly throughout America, as the family followed their father where ever he was stationed. As young children it was an exciting time for the Eakes sisters to almost literally wake up in Florida in the morning and go to bed at night in England. More often than not, they were given the opportunity to explore an entirely new world which, of course, was a thrill for the five sisters. However, the family eventually settled in Warner Robins, Georgia.

Early on, Bobbie and her sisters exhibited a special love for performing, and used to charge the neighbors a nickel to come see little shows that they put on in their backyard. Included on their program were singing songs and doing sketches and skits. Later, the sisters outgrew their backyard and went on to perform locally and statewide as 'The Eakes Girls' -- a brilliant idea hatched by their father. As The Eakes Girls, the sisters were very successful. They were even asked to perform at the Miss Georgia Pageant, which they gladly accepted, and did for several years.

However, The Eakes Girls wasn´t Bobbie´s first exposure to singing in front of a bigger crowd. The first time Bobbie was to sing in front of a bigger crowd was in junior high school. She was going to sing some country songs for a talent show. When a teacher acknowledged Bobbie´s singing ability, she realized that singing was something she was pretty good at. Performing in high school musical productions, such as playing the lead in 'Annie', gave Bobbie a little taste of acting as well. Bobbie´s favorite subject in school was English literature while, her less favorite subjects in school were math and science. Bobbie was also a cheerleader in high school, and some of her teen idols included David Cassidy, Davy Jones and the Monkees (she actually owns a Monkees lunch box). At the age of 16, Bobbie joined her first professional band as the lead singer in a traditional country and bluegrass group near Macon, Georgia. She went on the road at the age of 19 and went all over the USA in a bar/country band.

At one of her performances with The Eakes Girls, Bobbie was approached by a talent scout who urged her to enter the Miss Georgia TEEN Pageant. A couple of weeks later, Bobbie won the title of Miss Georgia TEEN. She continued on to the National Miss TEEN Pageant, and was named First-Runner Up and Talent Winner. Following her sister Sandra´s footsteps, Bobbie was named Miss Georgia in 1982 and competed for her home state in the Miss America Pageant in 1983 held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Sandra, who was Miss Georgia in 1979, gave her sister many valuable pointers, but a little mishap was inevitable. As Bobbie went out and did her little turn, she forgot to say her evening gown speech! When she walked down the ramp, she noticed that all her family and friends had a look of sheer horror on their faces. Then she heard the next girl saying, "Hi, I´m so and so, and I´m from...". Needless to say, Bobbie was shocked when she was called out as one of the top ten finalists. Bobbie and the nine other beauty queens passed the evening gown, the talent and the swimsuit categories with flying colors, but the definite highlight of the evening was Bobbie´s musical performance;

The spotlight and the audience focuses on the stage as Bobbie hits the stage with an energy and power that sets it on fire (metaphorically that is). Bobbie is wearing a beautiful black and white sequined pantsuit with a little jacket. Her clear and breathtaking voice is vibrating of energy as she announces to the audience and America, 'Let´s Hear It For Me' (the Barbara Streisand song from 'Funny Lady'). The presence of Bobbie on stage and her incredible voice are nothing to dismiss. Her face lights up, her eyes are laughing, her mouth is smiling, signaling a pure enjoyment as she is in the middle of her stellar performance. As Bobbie continues her powerful delivery of the song, she is united with the music, and her arms and body are intertwined with her mesmerizing voice. The energy continues to build, filling the whole theater until it climaxes in a powerful finale followed by thundering applause -- 'Let´s hear it for Bobbie Eakes'.

Bobbie, a major in journalism and minor in political science at the University of Georgia, eventually emerged from the 1983 Miss America Pageant as a top ten finalist.

Among the five sisters many scholarships were awarded, mostly due to the beauty pageants that they entered. It was something that the sisters enjoyed doing, and it was also a way for them to showcase their singing abilities. But, it also helped out their parents a great deal since there was no way they could have paid for a higher education for all of their children.

The Miss American Pageant was not just an exciting experience for Bobbie, but also her first big break. The people that were producing 'Star Search', a show featuring unknown talents, were getting ready to film the pilot. When they saw Bobbie in the Miss America Pageant, they decided to fly her out to Los Angeles to have her screen test for hostess of the show. Bobbie screen tested with Garry Shandling, but Ed McMahon was the host when the program aired. It was Bobbie´s 'Star Search' audition that got her interested in moving to Los Angeles.

In 1984, Bobbie moved to Los Angeles to pursue her musical career, singing with several studio session groups and various bands. Bobbie passed up an offer as a backup vocalist with Bob Seeger in favor of the all-girl pop band Big Trouble. Big Trouble was assembled and put together by TV executive Fred Silverman. About five hundred girls tried out for the part as lead singer of Big Trouble, but it was Bobbie that won the part. Bobbie´s new band mates also included Julia Farey (bass and background vocals), Rebecca Ryan (keyboards and background vocals) and Suzy Zarow (drums and background vocals). In 1987, the band recorded an album entitled, 'Big Trouble', for Epic Records produced by Grammy and Oscar winner Giorgio Moroder. They had one U.S. pop chart entry, 'Crazy World', in 1987. Bobbie toured with her band in the USA and also the USA military bases throughout Europe. During this time, she also appeared on 'American Bandstand', was a guest veejay on MTV, and performed in venues across the USA and in Europe, including the Montreux Pop Festival in Switzerland. Between touring engagements, the band members´s manager hooked them up with a TV show called 'Comedy Break' as the house band. It was an ensemble comedy show, and when they needed extra people, they incorporated the band members into some of the sketchwork -- and that is how Bobbie got her feet wet acting. Being a part of Big Trouble was a lot of fun for Bobbie, but it was also hard to make money waiting for a record to sell, particularly when the record company was not pushing it. With time, Bobbie was given more and more sketches, and when 'Comedy Break' was canceled, Bobbie took matters into her own hands and asked the William Morris Agency´s musical department, which she had signed with earlier, to send her out on some acting gigs. Bobbie´s first ever professional acting job was on the last episode of 'Laverne and Shirley'. Her lines were unfortunately cut, but she can still be seen in the episode, and she did get her Screen Actors Guild card. She also won guest appearances on such primetime shows as 'Jake and the Fatman', 'Full House', 'Cheers' etc. Although she was not keen on being labeled as 'actress/singer', she was happy about her decision to go into acting, especially when the paychecks started rolling in. In 1988, Big Trouble was dissolved -- after only about one year together.

In 1989, Bobbie was cast as fashion diva Sally Spectra´s daughter, Macy Alexander, on the CBS daytime drama 'The Bold and The Beautiful'. Bobbie, who had been submitted by her agent to the B&B try outs, auditioned and screen tested with Darlene Conley (her TV mom Sally). Also, Billy Hufsey (an actor who appeared on the NBC soap 'Days of Our Lives', and the prime time series 'Fame'), was brought in to help with the auditions for Macy. When Bobbie realized B&B was a family affair (upon meeting co-creators Bill and Lee Bell, and staff writer -- at that time -- Bradley Bell), Bobbie joked about appearing on 'Family Feud', a popular game show then. This helped her win the Bell family over.

Bobbie got her B&B part in the nick of time. After Bobbie´s band, Big Trouble, broke up, she got very discouraged, and considered moving out of Los Angeles to possibly settle down in the town in Florida where one of her sisters´s lived. She thought she could answer the phones, and other odd jobs, in the dental office of her sister and her sister´s husband. But then, Bobbie´s agent called and told her that she had won the role of Macy on 'The Bold and The Beautiful'. She learned the good news after getting home from a convention of grocers where she had been dressed as a big, inflatable lunch bucket!

Shortly after blowing life into the character of Macy, Bobbie started singing love duets with on-screen love interest Thorne (played by Jeff Trachta). The story behind Bobbie and Jeff´s start in singing on the show is quite interesting. Jeff Trachta, an accomplished singer, wanted to sing on the show, but the producers told him that this would not be possible for the next couple of months. This was because his character was going through an emotional breakdown, and, therefore, would not have much to sing about. Jeff waited out the next couple of months, and then invited the directors and the producers of the soap to come and hear him sing. The directors and producers were very impressed with Jeff´s singing talents and decided to let him sing on the show -- with Bobbie, who they had learned was also an accomplished singer and had a professional musical background. This union resulted in a beautiful duet, entitled 'What´s Forever For'. This was featured in a variety show on B&B in 1990 that was organized by Bobbie and Jeff´s characters, Macy and Thorne. The singing talents of Schae Harrison (Darla), John McCook (Eric) and Darlene Conley (Sally) were also incorporated into the variety show which made for an unforgettable treat for fans.

Miss California 1983, Debbie Maffett, who was also crowned Miss America, had become friends with Bobbie. In fact, when Bobbie moved out to California, she moved in with Debbie and shared a house with her and Miss Louisiana, also from the Miss America Pageant! When Debbie´s boyfriend was teaching an acting class in San Diego in 1987 (when Bobbie was still involved with Big Trouble), she took it -- and so did David Steen, her future husband-to-be and now manager. At that time, Bobbie was in a bad relationship and when David asked her out, she said no. Finally, she decided to give him a call and ask him for a date.

While Bobbie was vacuuming in sweats and a baseball cap, her boyfriend David asked her to marry him on November 16, 1991. Less than a year after, bride and groom-to-be left Los Angeles to return to Bobbie´s hometown of Warner Robins to get married on July 4. The wedding had been carefully planned by Bobbie from Los Angeles with the help of a wedding consultant, as well as her parents. Bobbie´s all black and white wedding held in the evening was a dream come true for her as she walked down the aisle crowded with over five hundred of her and David´s family and friends. However, she had not left Los Angeles without bringing work with her (so to speak). Since she liked her TV character´s wedding dress so much, she wore an exact copy of the dress that her television alter ego, Macy, had worn in her wedding to Bobbie´s on-screen husband Thorne (Jeff Trachta). The dress was designed by 'The Bold and The Beautiful´s' costume designer Sandra Bojin-Sedlik. Many of the cast and crew from 'The Bold and the Beautiful' were also in attendance. Bobbie´s on-screen husband, Jeff Trachta, even sang with Bobbie's sister, Sandra, the Luther Vandross song 'Here and Now' (remembered by fans of 'The Bold and the Beautiful' as the song Thorne and Macy sang at their wedding). Jeff also sang 'I Can´t Help Falling in Love With You' during the reception which was Bobbie and David´s first dance as husband and wife. Bobbie´s television mother, Darlene Conley, was seated next to Bobbie´s real-life mother as 'co-mother of the bride'! After a bold and beautiful wedding and reception, the happy newlyweds left for a fabulous honeymoon in Bermuda.

Bobbie and co-star Jeff´s singing on 'The Bold and The Beautiful' grew more and more popular with fans of the show worldwide, and because of public demand for their music, they finally released their first CD of duets called 'Bold and Beautiful Duets' in 1994. This was followed by a couple of sold-out concerts in Holland, where they are hotter than the equator on an August afternoon. As a matter of fact, Bobbie and Jeff, and their fellow co-stars John McCook (Eric) and Darlene Conley (Sally), experienced a level of attention, usually reserved for rock stars, during both of their concerts held in the Ahoy arena in Rotterdam. These very special events brought out B&B fans of all ages, wanting to spend a few hours with their favorite stars from 'The Bold and The Beautiful'. The actors, didn´t know how the people coming to their concerts would react. They were absolutely inspired by the amount of love and enthusiasm given by the over 9000 adoring fans having the best time of their lives. One of the two concerts performed was videotaped by a Dutch production company, and subsequently incorporated into the show´s storyline. So, while the people attending the concert in Rotterdam saw the stars of 'The Bold and The Beautiful', viewers who later watched the concerts within the context of the soap essentially saw the characters performing in Europe in one of B&B´s best storylines. Ron Weaver, B&B´s coordinating producer, who helped organize this mixture of fiction and fact, shares this; "It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I´ll never forget, watching nine thousand people in a sports arena who are going absolutely crazy over not only the fact that they´re watching their stars from their favorite soap, but they´re also seeing a real world-class concert. Bobbie and Jeff and John and Darlene did quite an amazing job in that concert. In that hall, there was this wave of love, and everybody kind of got on and rode it, including the performers, and everybody sort of fed off each other. It was an astonishing experience!" When the concert episodes were aired, viewers could also spot John McCook´s wife, Laurette, and Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Bell (Mr. Bell is the head writer and executive producer of B&B) among the audience, and some concert goers could even see themselves on their favorite soap!

A 'Duets II' CD was released in 1995, also that one accompanied by several sold-out concerts in Holland. Between her work on B&B and other commitments, Bobbie, sometimes accompanied with now ex-co-star Jeff, tries to give as many concerts as possible -- to the delight of her and Jeff´s many fans throughout the world, in six continents and over ninety countries.

Being on a world hit television series has earned Bobbie several honorary positions throughout the years. She has had the honor of hosting or co-hosting several prestigious beauty pageants such as the Miss World Pageant held in South Africa in 1995. Jeff Trachta was one of her co-hosts at this particular pageant. In the spring of 1998, Bobbie and Jeff were the international hosts of the European Soundmix Show Final held in Holland. The show featured unknown talents singing songs of other artists or groups while imitating them vocally as well as capturing their stage presence and body language. The show was aired in all the competing European countries. Bobbie has also had the opportunity to develop her very own line of hair and skincare products entitled, 'Bobbie Eakes: BE Youthful'. (The 'BE' represents the actress´s initials.) So far, her products have only been introduced on the Australian market.

The road of success has brought Bobbie from her beautiful home in San Fernando Valley in California back to her roots again and what is closest to her heart -- the rhythm of the South -- as she unveils her first-ever solo CD entitled, 'Here and Now'. Like the song goes:

Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind

Talkin´ ´bout Georgia
I´m in Georgia
A song of you
Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines

Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you

Georgia, sweet Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind

Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back
It always leads back to you

I´m in Georgia, Georgia, sweet Georgia
No peace, no peace I find
Just this old, sweet song
Keeps Georgia forever on my mind
Just an old sweet, sweet song
Keeps Georgia forever on my mind

This biography is written by HENRIETTA ROOS

STAR STATS --- GETTING TO KNOW YOU --- CREDITS (TV, discography etc.)

since March 21st, 2001