Bob Hubbard, lead singer for Foggy River Boys, Jordanaires, Joplin TV pioneer dead at 92

Bob Hubbard, the longtime lead singer of the Foggy River Boys and original lead singer of the Jordanaires died at his Branson home Monday at age 92.

After graduating from Monett High School, Hubbard performed with the Jordanaires at the Grand Ole Opry for four years before leaving the group in 1952 to serve in the U. S. Army during the Korean War.

After his military service, Hubbard and his wife, Reba, moved to Joplin, where he became the first traffic manager for the newly launched KODE-TV, scheduling all programming and also playing the role of Colonel Clover on a children's show sponsored by Kitty Clover Potato Chips.

For many years, Hubbard performed on the Joplin Little Theatre stage, performing in productions of Inherit the Wind in 1961, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial in 1962, Harvey in 1963, for which he won the Best Actor award for his performance as Elwood P. Dowd, My Fair Lady in 1965 and Arsenic and Old Lace in 1967.

Hubbard directed a production of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple in 1968 and served on the Joplin Little Theatre Board of Directors from 1961 through 1968.

During their time in Joplin, the Hubbards were members of South Joplin Christian Church.

Hubbard was also a lay minister.

In 1967, Hubbard became the lead singer of the Foggy River Boys, moving to Branson in 1974 and performing at the group's theater in Branson until his retirement in 1993.

Reba Hubbard passed away in 2018.

Hubbard is survived by his son Tom and his wife Penny of Ridgedale, Missouri, daughter Nancy Kyd and grandson Joseph Kyd, both of St. Louis, Missouri.