Bob Armstrong Jr.

Thomas Robert (Bob) Armstrong Jr.'s first claim to fame was singing back-up and playing The Hammond B3 organ with Cincinnati band The Casinos. In 1967, he was there when The Casinos made a little history – the band went to No. 6 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with the doo-wop classic "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye."

Mr. Armstrong, of Milford, died of cancer at home on Dec. 27. He was 67.

The Casinos went on to tour as opening act for The Beach Boys, but Mr. Armstrong ultimately decided against making music his profession. Instead, he joined his father at his company Becker Electric as an electrical engineer.

With a business degree from Xavier University and a master's degree in engineering from the University of Cincinnati, Mr. Armstrong embarked on a successful business career.

He especially enjoyed working with bridge lighting designs, beginning with the Roebling Suspension Bridge in 1984 when he and brother Mark Armstrong were partners in Garfield Electric. Mr. Armstrong's innovations with the Roebling Bridge project led to several contracts for decorative bridge lighting of spans across the Mississippi at Memphis, Quad Cities and New Orleans in the 1980s. He counted the Sterner Lighting Design "Bringing History to Light" award among his many national recognitions.

Mr. Armstrong was a longtime member and past president of the Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee and did the latest lighting re-design, including the new "necklace lights," which is approaching completion.

Mr. Armstrong was a musician all his life, said wife Brenda (nee Spears) Armstrong. She and Mr. Armstrong first met when he was playing with The Casinos. They re-kindled their teen romance a quarter century later.

Mr. Armstrong started playing ukulele at age 5 and guitar at age 7, when his hands would finally fit the neck. On The Casinos' web site, Mr. Armstrong recalled he "had a Gibson guitar with a 'twangy bar' just like Duane Eddy."

By age 14 he was playing lead guitar with The Ramrods, who scored a regional instrumental hit with "Ghost Riders in the Sky." He went on to play with other area bands during his high school years, also learning classical piano and electric piano.

Mr. Armstrong's road to the CODA (Cincinnati Oldies and DooWop Association) Hall Of Fame began in earnest when he joined The Vikings, the back-up band in the early days of The Casinos. Band members came and went, then in 1965, The Casinos blended the band and vocal group.

Mr. Armstrong provided what's been described as the "swelling" electric organ sound that was a group signature.

After The Casinos ended their run, throughout his life Mr. Armstrong continued playing with band members Ray White and Mickey Denton.

"We've played together since 1964," said White, of North Bend. They've played with Carl Edmonson and The Driving Winds for more than a decade. Mr. Armstrong was most recently on stage in August, at River Days in New Richmond, Ind.

"He was like a brother to me," White said. "He was fun to be with, he was very kind. He helped a lot of people. And he was a great musician, probably the best keyboard player in the city, in my opinion. I loved him dearly."

One of Mr. Armstrong's great delights, said his wife, was sharing the stage with his son, percussionist Bobby (Thomas Robert Armstrong III). "He was so proud of him!"

Mr. Armstrong continued to play even after melanoma forced the partial amputation of his thumb a few years ago. "He loved to play," Brenda Armstrong said, including playing organ for their own parish church St. Jerome Roman Catholic Church and St. Peter's in New Richmond.

Mr. Armstrong is survived by wife Brenda of Milford; son Thomas Robert (Bobby) Armstrong III (son of Bonnie Armstrong), of Anderson; step-daughter Rhonda Cisco of Eastgate, Aaron (Amy) Ellerman of Batavia, and Sonya (Joe) Myers of Blanchester; and siblings of Bill (Kathy) Armstrong of Eastgate, Beth Smith of Chapin, S.C., Barb (Ron) Gallagher of Gilford, Ind., Mark (Michelle) Armstrong of Norwood and Mike Armstrong of San Francisco. He also is survived by five grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Bernadette Church or to the Covington-Cincinnati Bridge Committee at www.roeblingbridge.com.

Written by Jackie Demaline | jdemaline@enquirer.com