Bobby Caldwell And Wife Building Home In New Jersey

Bobby Caldwell is about to undertake a big adventure – and it has nothing to do with music. The vocalist has picked his contractors and is now finalizing plans with an architect to build a new house that he and his wife have drawn up.

The house will be built on the horse property that Bobby and his wife Mary Moriarty – who celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary on Nov. 20 – own in northern New Jersey. Born in Manhattan and raised in Memphis and Miami, Bobby had until recently lived in Las Vegas after calling northern San Diego County home for many years.

"We’re getting through the initial stages of it and looking forward to the fun part of it," Caldwell says. "I’m certain that that’s going to absorb the next year of our lives. But it'll be a labor of love. We’re hoping that we’ll be celebrating next Christmas in the house."

Caldwell's most recent CD, his first in six years, is called Perfect Island Nights. Earlier this month, the Grammys nominated a CD called Songs From The Neighborhood - The Music Of Mister Rogers in the category of Best Musical Album For Children. The album features Caldwell singing on a song called “Sometimes.” The tune was written by Fred Rogers himself in 1972.

The longtime pianist on Rogers' show, the late Johnny Costa, also played in a band that Caldwell's parents created. They both had TV shows in Pittsburgh. "Johnny’s child was my best playmate when I was living in Pittsburgh, and Johnny himself was a close friend of the family," says Caldwell. "So I had a connection to the ‘Mister Rogers’ legacy."