Vicki Sue Robinson
Vicki Sue Robinson (born May 31, 1954 in Harlem , New York , New York , † April 27, 2000 in Wilton , Connecticut ) was an American disco singer who in 1976 at the height of the genre was an international hit with Turn the Beat Around succeeded.
Career
Vicki Sue Robinson was born the daughter of Shakespearean African-American actor Bill Robinson and white folk singer Jolly Robinson. Through her mother Jolly, who performed with Pete Seeger among others , she came into contact with folk and jazz music as a little girl . The family moved to Philadelphia at a young age and returned to New York just a few years later. Robinson was still a teenager when she got her first musical role in Hair . At times she was on stage with Melba Moore and Paul Jabara , who were later successful in the disco genre . In early 1971 she starred alongside Peter Allen , Barry Bostwick and Nell Carter in the short-lived play Soon on Broadway . Another Broadway engagement followed in 1973 with Jesus Christ Superstar . There were also two smaller film roles in Going Home (1971) and To Find a Man (1972).
Robinson's first recording was released in 1972 when she was part of Something / Anything? was selected by Todd Rundgren as a backing singer. She started her own recording career with a record deal with RCA Victor in 1975. In the following year she immediately achieved an international hit with the song Turn the Beat Around , number 10 in the USA and number 1 in the local disco charts. The single was also successful in the Netherlands (11th place). For her vocal performance, she was nominated for the Grammy as “Best Pop Singer of the Year” alongside Natalie Cole , Emmylou Harris , Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt . A total of four albums were released for RCA, but none of the released singles could repeat the big first hit. Yet Robinson remained successful in the disco genre. She released several singles up to her death in 2000. Robinson died of cancer.
Private
Robinson was married to her manager Bill Good from 1990 until her death.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 AT
|
 CH
|
 UK
|
 US
|
|||
| 1976 | Never gonna let you go | - | - | - | - |
US49 (39 weeks) US |
First published: June 1976
|
| Vicki Sue Robinson | - | - | - | - |
US45 (16 weeks) US |
First published: November 1976
|
|
| 1978 | Half & Half | - | - | - | - |
US110 (9 weeks) US |
First published: March 1978
|
gray hatching : no chart data available for this year
more publishments
- 1979: Movin 'On
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
AT
|
CH
|
UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1976 | Turn the Beat Around Never Gonna Let You Go |
- | - | - | - |
US10 (25 weeks) US |
First published: April 1976
|
| Daylight Vicki Sue Robinson |
- | - | - | - |
US63 (7 weeks) US |
First published: September 1976
|
|
| 1977 | Hold tight half & half |
- | - | - | - |
US67 (9 weeks) US |
First published: July 1977
|
| 1997 | House of Joy | - | - | - |
UK48 (2 weeks) UK |
- |
First published: September 1997
|
more singles
- 1978: Trust In Me
- 1979: Nighttime Fantasy
Individual evidence
- ↑ [1] Very detailed interview including biography and career highlights
- ↑ [2] Chartsinfo, dutchcharts.nl
- ↑ a b Chart sources: UK US
Web links
- Vicki Sue Robinson at Allmusic (English)
- Vicki Sue Robinson at Discogs (English)
- Vicki Sue Robinson in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Robinson, Vicki Sue |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American disco singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 31, 1954 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Harlem , New York , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 27, 2000 |
| Place of death | Wilton , Connecticut |