Cleophus Robinson
Reverend Cleophus Robinson (born March 18, 1932 in Canton , Mississippi , † July 2, 1998 in St. Louis , Missouri ) was an American gospel and blues singer , songwriter , entertainer and preacher .
biography
Robinson grew up in a musical family. His mother was a locally known gospel singer. Gospel was also sung while working in the cotton fields. In 1948 Robinson went to Chicago , where he sang in various churches. With the Roberta Martin Singers he even performed together with Mahalia Jackson .
In 1949 he made his first studio recordings. The single New Lord was unsuccessful. Robinson returned to the south. He graduated from high school in Memphis . As a radio host, he had a weekly program, " The Voice of the Soul ". When there were well-known gospel musicians in town, he performed with them. He also began a decades-long collaboration with the pianist Napoleon Brown.
In 1953 Robinson got a recording contract with Peacock Records , but initially could not record any major success. After a year he gave up a trip to acting in order to concentrate entirely on music. In 1956 the longed-for hit single Pray for Me was released , which he recorded with his sister Josephine James. The following year he took a position at the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis , which took his musical activities a little in the background. In 1962 Robinson's first album was released under the title Pray for Me . He also had his weekly radio show "Hour of Faith". In 1964 he also started a gospel show on television.
In the 1960s Robinson changed the record company several times. He had other hits with Solemn Prayor and How Sweet It is to Be Loved by God (1965). In the middle of the decade his music was more oriented towards the blues. He made a European tour and performed at the Denver Pop Festival . His biggest hit was Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up . In the 1970s he performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival . In 1980 he sang in the White House . In 1986 he had another hit with Save a Seat for Me .
Web links
- Cleophus Robinson at Allmusic (English)
- Cleophus Robinson at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Cleophus Robinson in the Find a Grave database . Retrieved October 25, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Allmusic, see web links.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Robinson, Cleophus |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American gospel and blues singer, songwriter, entertainer and preacher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 18, 1932 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Canton , Mississippi |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 2nd, 1998 |
| Place of death | St. Louis , Missouri |