Luman was born in
Blackjack, Texas, United States, He attended high school in
Kilgore, where the family had moved after young Bob's birth and started his first band while in high school. Luman had been a baseball star at his high school and tried out with the
Major League Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates, but when he did not make it in professional baseball, he decided to concentrate on his music. In 1956, he won a
talent contest promoted by the
Future Farmers of America, which earned him an appearance on the
Louisiana Hayride. For the
Hayride, Luman formed a
backup band called the Shadows, including
James Burton on guitar, James Kirkland on bass, and Butch White on drums. In 1957, the band signed with
Imperial Records, where they recorded "All Night Long" (with B-side "Red Cadillac and a Black Mustache") and "Amarillo Blues". That same year, the band appeared on the
Town Hall Party in Los Angeles, and appeared in the movie
Carnival Rock, where they backed up
David Houston. The following year, having been dropped by Imperial Records, Luman signed with
Capitol Records, where he released "Try Me" and "I Know My Baby Cares". Capitol Records wanted Luman to change his name, which he refused to do, so he left the record label and signed with
Warner Bros. Records, recording "Class of '59" and "Loretta". In 1960, Luman was inducted into the
United States Army. While still serving in the Army, Warner Bros. Records released Luman's best-known crossover
hit, "
Let's Think About Living", a
novelty song that hit number seven on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart and number nine on the
Billboard country music chart. It also reached the top 10 in the
UK Singles Chart.{{cite book After leaving the Army in 1962, Luman moved to
Nashville. On August 12, 1964, he married Barbara in Yuma, Colorado. In 1965, he joined the
Grand Ole Opry. ==Later career==