ROBERT RANDOLPH
Robert Randolph has been consistently releasing high-energy, genre-fusing albums for nearly two decades, and they continue to craft them with the utmost care… impressive instrumentation, lyrics rife with imagery, and the passion that gets fans out of their seats euphorically dancing. –– Blues Rock Review
What do rock heavyweights Beyonce, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, singer-songwriters Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Leanne Rhymes, Darius Rucker, and some of the biggest arena rock acts like Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica all have in common? At some point in their careers, they wanted to incorporate the singing sound of the pedal steel guitar, and they all called in the same person to do it: Robert Randolph.
A virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Robert Randolph burst onto the music scene in the early 2000s with his fiery, passionate instrumental work and heartfelt music. It didn’t take long for Robert’s talents to get in front of numerous guitar legends, including Eric Clapton. Upon first listen, Clapton tapped Robert Randolph & the Family Band to tour the world opening for his band and included him in every iteration of the legendary Crossroads Festival. Clapton would also appear on Robert Randolph’s album Colorblind released in 2006 on Warner Music, a record that would also include a guest appearance from Dave Matthews.
Robert’s innovative approach to the pedal steel guitar has earned him four Grammy nominations, multiple Blues Music Awards, and a BMI award, and Rolling Stone named Randolph one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. His work can be heard on numerous TV and film broadcasts, including his long-standing theme song for the New York Knicks “Get There,” and “Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That,” the current theme song for NFL Thursday Night Football.
While Randolph cut his teeth playing in services at the House of God Church in his native New Jersey (a domination where the pedal steel is a key part of the musical program), his talents were discovered by fans outside the church, and he made his debut with a live album recorded with his backing group the Family Band. His subsequent albums with the Family Band, such as 2010’s When We Walk This Road and 2013’s Lickety Split, have all been steeped in the same passion and energy, born from their heartfelt fusion of multiple genres, that they bring to Winthrop!
.
