ROSCOE ROBINSON

Roscoe Robinson was born in 1928 in either Dumont, Alabama or Dermott, Arkansas (we’ve seen it listed both ways). In any event, his family (like so many others) moved north to find work, and had settled in Gary, Indiana by the late thirties. By the time Roscoe was fourteen, he had begun singing with local 'quartet-style' Gospel groups, much like his close friend Sam Cooke.

During the 1950s, the 'golden age' of Quartet Gospel, Roscoe would sing with The Southern Sons, The Silver Quintette, The Royal Quartet, The Kelly Brothers, The Norfolk Singers, The Fairfield Four, The Gospel Jays and The Paramount Singers... talk about a veteran! Small wonder, then, that when the legendary Archie Brownlee took sick he hand-picked Robinson to be his successor in the Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi. With Brownlee's health deteriorating, Peacock owner Don Robey probably had no intention of re-signing them and sent them on their way. Brownlee's last recordings were for Chess subsidiary Marathon around October 1959. When Brownlee died of pneumonia in February of 1960, Roscoe began sharing lead vocal duties with Wilmer 'Little Ax' Broadnax, formerly of the Spirit Of Memphis Quartet.  They recorded a very successful album for Checker called "I'll Go". This was not to Robey's liking. While on tour in Houston, Robey paid them a visit. "Chess has a lot of money," he said, "why don't you tell them you're still under contract to me, and we'll sue them for big bucks!" Back to Peacock they went for 14 sides, most of them led by Roscoe Robinson. Not at all pleased with the way how Don Robey was running his business affairs with them, Roscoe and Lawrence 'Shorty' Abrams moonlighted as the Blind Boys of Ohio in 1963 on Chicago's Constellation label. Much to Roscoe's disappointment, he left (or was kicked out of, depending on which version you read)

The Blind Boys of Mississippi.  It was at this point that Roscoe decided he had no choice but to 'cross-over' (for more on that part of the story, please visit The B Side)...

On songs marked with a * Roscoe Robinson is singing lead.

(Archivist Opal Louis Nations has put together Roscoe's early quartet recordings, along with the original Peacock and Checker material he recorded with the 'Boys' on a Pewburner CDR - PB 658 Roscoe Robinson (1950-1964))

By 1973, frustrated with a perennial lack of promotion on the part of the record companies, and a public that seemed increasingly indifferent to his music, Roscoe decided to return to the Lord. The resulting album  "He Still Lives In Me" (Jewel LPS 0066), showed that Robinson remained at the top of his game. It has been re-issued in 2007 on the sublime P-Vine Japanese release Heavenly Soul Music. His next stop would be with T.K. Records subsidiary Gospel Roots, where he would work with the legendary Ralph Bass to produce "Time To Live" (Gospel Roots LP 5007) in 1977.

In 1979 he returned to the Jewel label where he was shortly reunited with the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi for the album "The Tide Of Life" (Jewel LP 0155). Later on that year, Robinson became a member of The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama around the same time that prodigal son Clarence Fountain returned (who was recording for Jewel at the same time as Roscoe). They were both aboard for the great 1982 album I'm A Soldier In The Army Of The Lord, which Roscoe co-produced with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It was re-released on CD in 2004.

In the early eighties Robinson joined Savoy where he and, former Harmonizing Four member,  Jimmy Jones made the album "When I Get To Heaven" (Savoy LP 14667). About a year later Savoy released  his High On Jesus, (Savoy LP 14733) album. In 1987 he was back with the Five Blind Boys of Alabama recording "Thank You For Caring For Me" (Messiah LP 110). By the turn of the century Robinson himself has re-activated his Gerri label, and released an excellent album called The Gospel Stroll in 2005. In addition to the almost 'hip-hop' flava of the title track, he joins together with old friend Clarence Fountain for the amazing I Am Pressing On. Pressing on indeed, these two men are among the last living links to the 'golden age' of Quartet Gospel.

(Red Kelly & Cies de Theije, March 2008)

Additional Source:

- Hayes & Laughton (eds): The Gospel Discography 1943-1970

- Opal Louis Nations

- John Glassburner

- Julien Crué