Austin Roberts (singer)
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| Austin Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | George Austin Robertson, Jr. |
| Born | September 19, 1945 Newport News, Virginia, United States |
| Genres | Pop, country |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, Keyboards |
| Years active | 1968–2010 |
| Labels | Philips, ABC-Dunhill, Chelsea, Private Stock, Newpax, MCA-Songbird |
| Associated acts | Arkade, Buchannan Brothers |
Austin Roberts (born George Austin Robertson Jr., September 19, 1945, Newport News, Virginia)[1] is an American singer and songwriter. His most successful recording was 1975's "Rocky"; a transatlantic Top 40 hit single.
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[edit] Early years
A guitarist since the age of thirteen, Roberts began his musical aspirations in a number of local bands, mainly playing as part of the local beach music scene. Wanting to expand beyond a genre which had little interest outside of Virginia and the Carolinas, Roberts began making summer trips to relatives in New York City, hanging around the music districts and trying to get attention from publishers. Eventually these efforts were rewarded when record producer Terry Phillips recorded a 1967 single for ABC Records as The Virginia Wolves, with fellow Virginia native Johnny Reese filling out the group. "I Can't Believe that You're In Love With Me" b/w "Rose Petals (sic) Everywhere She Goes", the latter song penned by Roberts under his birth name, was cited as a Top 60 pick by Billboard magazine.
Roberts joined the United States Marine Corps shortly before the single was released, and the record died from lack of promotion. However, Roberts had made an agreement with Terry Cashman at ABC-Pampco Music to sign with the company after basic training, and he began writing full-time for the company in early 1968. This led to a recording contract with Philips Records later that year, with his first single, "Mary and Me", becoming a regional hit in parts of Florida and his second, "Ricky Ticky Ta Ta Ta", being used as the template for the sound of a fictitious cartoon "band" being developed for Hanna-Barbera Productions. Initially, Roberts was cited to provide the vocals for the project that gradually developed into the popular series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
In the meantime, Roberts had been developing a partnership with fellow ABC songwriter Johnny Cymbal, who had been writing and producing with former Motown Records associate George Tobin. When Cymbal and Tobin decided to move the base of their operations to Los Angeles, California, Roberts went with them. Several singles featuring his vocals appeared under a variety of assumed band identities, but these raised objection at Philips as to whether or not this activity breached Roberts' contract. Tobin gave the record label Roberts' latest master, "One Night Ann", for release but the label dropped him shortly after the disc was released.
Freed from his contractual obligations with Philips, Roberts began a whirlwind succession of projects with a plethora of partners. With record producer Danny Janssen, Roberts worked on music for the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Josie and the Pussycats. Story editors Joe Ruby and Ken Spears had been thinking of adding "chase songs" to Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, and upon learning that Roberts was part of Janssen's creative team they offered him the job of providing vocals for Scooby's second season. Meanwhile, record producer Steve Barri at Dunhill Records was looking for a singer to fill out a developing act based around songwriters Harvey Price and Dan Walsh. Price and Walsh had released a single for the label in early 1970 as Arkade, but the three men felt a stronger lead singer would both improve the sound of the group and expand the image beyond the writing team.
[edit] Successes as an artist
His most successful single was "Rocky" which reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.[2] The track reached #22 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1975; Roberts' only chart appearance in the UK.[3]
A close runner-up was the hit, "Something's Wrong With Me", written by Danny Janssen and Bobby Hart, which reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.[2] Roberts and Hart later wrote the song "Over You" for the 1983 film, Tender Mercies; "Over You" was nominated for the 1984 Academy Award for Best Original Song, as well as the Golden Globe nomination for Best Song in a Motion Picture. "Keep on Singing" was another important hit for Roberts (#50 on the Hot 100 in 1973.)[2] As the lead singer of the group Arkade, he had two Billboard Hot 100 hits in 1970-71, including the easy listening crossover, "The Morning Of Our Lives". It became the Bridal Fair theme, which then became a Top 15 Adult Contemporary hit. In 1988, Roberts wrote the American Gymnastics Team's theme song for the Olympics, "When You Put Your Heart in It." It subsequently became a Top 20 Adult Contemporary hit for Kenny Rogers. In 1999, Busch Gardens commissioned Roberts to write the opening song for their Williamsburg Extravaganza. Roberts has written a number of songs for soap operas, as well as many more for films, including Tornado, Within These Walls, and They Were the Mulvaneys. He has also taught a songwriting course in Charlotte, North Carolina and Chesapeake, Virginia.
In addition to his success on the charts, Roberts also has experience with the stage. Roberts has written the music and lyrics for two musicals, Rachinoff and Damon's Song. Rachinoff, starring Rob Marshall (the future director and choreographer of Chicago), was performed at Carnegie Mellon in 1981. It was nominated for an ACE Award (Cable Emmy). Damon's Song, starring three Tony Award winners, was performed at Pennsylvania Stage Co. in 1979. Roberts also had #1 single success with Reba McEntire (Annie Get Your Gun) and Gary Morris (Les Misérables).
[edit] Awards
Roberts has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, two of which he won ("IOU" by Lee Greenwood and "Chance of a Lifetime" by Take 6). He has also won a German Grammy (for "Mission of Love"), four Canadian Grammys (for "He Would Be 16"), a CMA Award, an ACM Award, a Music City News Award, two NSAI Awards, and numerous ASCAP and SESAC Awards for airplay. Roberts has also been nominated for an additional CMA Award and ACM Award.
Currently, Roberts lives near Nashville and is working on musicals.
[edit] References
- ^ Allmusic.com - accessed April 2009
- ^ a b c "Allmusic ((( Austin Roberts > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p30456/charts-awards.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 465. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
