Bobbye Jean Hall was born in
Detroit,
Michigan, and began her career there playing percussion in nightclubs while still in her teens. While playing at the 20 Grand nightclub in 1961 she was approached by
Motown arranger
Paul Riser to play on a recording session. Using bongos, congas and other percussion, she played uncredited on many Motown recordings in the 1960s. She lived in Europe for a few years during which time she changed the spelling of her name from Bobby to Bobbye, to distinguish herself as a woman percussionist and as a unique musician. She moved to
Los Angeles in 1970 where she was one of the few female
session musicians in a male-dominated profession, a sometime associate of
the Funk Brothers and the so-called
Wrecking Crew. Already a veteran player by May 1971, she was featured on congas in the studio video of
the Temptations doing "
Sorry Is A Sorry Word", and she added her bongo skills to
Marvin Gaye's "
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)". Her first studio gig behind a full rock
drum kit was with
Chris Ethridge on his 1971 album
L.A. Getaway—Ethridge said "she was great". She also played on the
Gene Clark album,
White Light, of the same year. Hall recorded several albums with
Bill Withers, including his No. 1 hit "
Lean On Me", and his
Live at Carnegie Hall album. She toured with
Carole King in May–June 1973 after having participated on two of King's studio albums. During this tour Hall asked King to stop introducing her as "Little Bobbye from Detroit". King suggested "Ms. Bobbye Hall" and from that time forward, Hall was known as Ms. Bobbye Hall. In 1973–1974, Hall began to be credited sometimes as
Bobbye Hall Porter, also
Bobbye Porter Hall, after her marriage to record producer
Joe Porter. Hall released one album of her own in March 1977:
Body Language For Lovers, a soul-jazz instrumental work featuring tunes co-written with her husband.
Billboard recommended the LP, but it did not chart. ==Global exposure==