Description
Robin S, born and raised in Queens, New York, began singing at the age of five in a church choir. Blessed with perfect pitch and a genuine talent to entertain, she took up vocal training at the age of eight under the direction of the legendary Brook Alexander. Alexander, who also instructed Melba Moore, “made learning easy. His style taught me how to create different sounds by using my facial expressions and tones. It enabled me to obtain the skills to become a performer.”
At the age of fifteen, Robin went to join both jazz and cover bands in the New Yorkmetropolitan area, performing at dinner clubs, lounges, and other venues. During her tenure as a member of the band “Top Shelf” she met Allen George and Fred MacFarlane, of Homeboy Recording Studios. Fred, a seasoned musician who played keyboards on several of Madonna’s early releases, and Allen immediately realized that they found the perfect accent to their music and began laying demo tracks for Robin’s vocals.
“Show Me Love,” Robin’s first gold single, introduced her as one of the premier vocalists of the early 1990’s. Her first release was in 1990 under Robin Stone (that’s what the “s” stands for).The chart-topping single, punctuated with energetic remixes from Stonebridge Productions of Sweden, originally gained popularity in Europe on Champion Records only in 1993. The success of the record caught the eyes of executives at Big Beat Records and Robin S was on her way to fulfilling her dreams.
Robin’s debut album on Big Beat/Atlantic Records, Show Me Love immediately broadened her fan base. The diverse sounds of the record, which changes between beautiful lush ballads and bold toe-tapping rhythms, were created by a variety of producers, including Junior Vasquez, Nick Martinelli, and David Morales.
“Love For Love,” another chart-topping track from Robin’s debut is a fiercely hypnotic track filled with syncopated beats, added her to the elite list of dance diva. “I don’t mind being called a diva one bit. There are some great divas in the world like Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle and if I am going to be considered a diva like they are…GREAT!”
And Robin’s efforts paid off. In 1993, Robin was named “Best Dance Artist” at the Billboard Awards and “Show Me Love” received the award for “Best Dance Single.” Robin also earned the award for “Best Dance Artist” at the industry’s annual Winter Dance Music Conference.
Robin’s live performance background on the stages of New York continues to work its magic and show off Robin’s diversity. She finds no trouble engaging her audience. “When I do a show, I want people to feel as if they are an intricate part of my performance. I often bring individuals on stage to dance with me. But I don’t choose the ones who are already clapping and mouthing the lyrics! They are the happy customers! I pick the people who are silent… ones that are expressionless. They are the people I am trying to reach.”
Robin’s performances have been seen by fans all over the world, having performed in Holland, Italy, Germany, Portugal, France, Japan, Russia, Switzerland, and Turkey, just to name a few. In addition to her many club shows in the United States, Robin has also appeared on numerous television programs including “Showtime at the Apollo,” “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” “The Maury Povich Show,” “The Arsenio Hall Show,” The Disney Channel, VH1’s “White Nights” AIDS Special, MTV’s “Lip Service,” and many others.
Top Robin S Songs of All Time