Died On This Date (January 7, 2011) Bobby Robinson / Prolific R&B Producer & Harlem Record Store Owner
themusicsover Bobby Robinson
April 16, 1917 – January 7, 2011
Bobby Robinson was a pioneering R&B and later, hip-hop record producer, as well as a longtime record store owner. He opened Bobby’s Record Shop in 1946, making it the first Black-owned business on Harlem’s famous 125th Street. The store and cultural landmark remained open until he was forced to close in 2008 due to his landlord’s desire to raze and rebuild at that spot. As a producer, Robinson had a hand in creating a string of R&B and hip-hop hits that stretched from the early ’50s through the mid ’80s. The list of greats that he enjoyed success with includes Gladys Knight & The Pips, Lee Dorsey, The Shirelles, Elmore James, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Kool Moe Dee, and Doug E. Fresh. Bobby Robinson was 93 when he passed away on January 7, 2011.
Tom Ardolino is best remembered as the long time drummer for influential rock outfit, NRBQ. Formed in 1967, the band has built a legion of loyal fans thanks to its ability to marry elements of jazz, rock, and blues, and for its raucous live shows. NRBQ loyalists include Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Elvis Costello. In 1974, Ardolino was asked to join the band as a replacement original drummer, Tom Staley. He had first been a dedicated fan and swapped live concert tapes with band co-founder, Terry Adams. Ardolino continued on with the group until they took a break in 2004. He participated in occasional band reunions in later years. Ardolino can be heard playing on such NRBQ classics as Scraps, All Hopped Up, and Grooves In Orbit. Outside of NRBQ, he played on albums by the likes of Marshall Crenshaw, Jerry Lee Lewis, and NRBQ band mate, Al Anderson. On his own, Ardolino released Unknown Brain in 2004. Tom Ardolino passed away from health related issues on January 6, 2012. He was 56.
