Sharon Robinson
Sharon Robinson (* 1958 in San Francisco ) is an American singer , composer and music producer . She became known for her decades of collaboration with Leonard Cohen , but has also written songs for other artists. She released her first solo album in 2008.
biography
Sharon Robinson was born in San Francisco. The family moved to Los Angeles when she was five years old. At the age of six she began to learn to play the piano, at twelve she wrote her first own songs. When she was 16, she recorded a demo with Joe Sample's Jazz Crusaders , which earned her a record deal. However, the record company died before their record was produced.
Sharon Robinson excelled in school for her achievements. In the Gifted of the National Merit Scholarship Program she reached the semifinals. As a result, she did not receive a scholarship from the US National Merit Corporation , but a scholarship from Salem College in West Virginia. Halfway through college, she left college to travel and perform with a top 40 cover band . After a few years she returned to college, this time to the California Institute of the Arts , to study music. A year later she appeared again, first as a session singer and then as a singer and dancer in Ann Margret's Las Vegas Revue from 1976 to 1985.
Collaboration with Leonard Cohen
On the recommendation of a fellow singer, Sharon Robinson was hired by Leonard Cohen as a background singer for the Field Commander Cohen Tour in 1979 and 1980. During the tour, both wrote the song Summertime , which was later recorded by Diana Ross (for the album Red Hot Rhythm & Blues , 1987) and Roberta Flack. This piece gave her her breakthrough as a composer.
The tour established the friendship between Robinson and Cohen. In the following years they both studied Zen Buddhism at the Mount Baldy Zen Center . In 1989 Cohen became the godfather of Robinson's son Michael.
Robinson and Cohen also co-wrote the songs Everybody Knows and Waiting for the Miracle , which were released in 1988 and 1992.
On Cohen's comeback album Ten New Songs (2001) Robinson was involved not only as a co-author, but also as a producer, arranger and singer. Individual pieces contain up to 20 background voices, all of which are sung by Sharon Robinson. In addition, she played or programmed almost all (electronic) instruments. The recordings were made in her private studio in a garage. The cover picture shows Robinson and Cohen's faces side by side.
Sharon Robinson contributed two tracks to Leonard Cohen's album Dear Heather (2004). In The Letters and Go No More A-Roving both sing in a duet.
In the years 2008 to 2010 and 2012/2013 Sharon Robinson also went on tour again with Leonard Cohen. She performed her song Boogie Street as a solo singer, while Cohen limited herself to the role of the background singer. On the second tour she interpreted Alexandra Leaving .
Work for other artists
Sharon Robinson wrote songs for Aaron Neville , Diana Ross , Don Henley , Randy Crawford , Roberta Flack , Thelma Houston , Patti LaBelle and the Temptations, among others . Her most recent compositions include The High Road , released by Bettye LaVette in 2005 on I've Got My Own Hell to Raise , and several pieces she wrote with Chris Botti .
Solo career
Sharon Robinson published her first solo album Everybody Knows in 2008. She wrote three of the songs together with Leonard Cohen: Alexandra Leaving , Summertime and the title track Everybody Knows . Leonard Cohen designed the cover. For distribution in Europe this picture was temporarily replaced by a photo of Robinson.
Discography
cooperation
- Ten New Songs (2001; with Leonard Cohen )
Solo albums
- Everybody Knows (2008)
- Caffeine (2015)
Awards
Sharon Robinson was awarded a Grammy in 1985. She received the award along with the others involved in the soundtrack of the movie Beverly Hills Cop . Robinson's contribution was the song New Attitude recorded by Patti LaBelle.
Individual evidence
- ↑ www.leonardcohenfiles.com
- ↑ Simon Worrall: Leonard Cohen: Out of the monastery and back on the road. In: The Independent , June 15, 2008 (English)
- ↑ Eric Rudolph: Leonard Cohen on Mix Magazine Online from July 1, 2002, accessed on September 12, 2010 ( Memento of the original from May 31, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Sharon Robinson: Exchanging "the letters" with Leonard Cohen , interview from 2004 (English) ( Memento of the original from July 8, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Robinson, Sharon |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American singer, composer, and record producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1958 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | San Francisco |