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Robert Randolph by Danny Clinch |
By now you have no doubt heard about Robert Randolph. It seems that pretty much the entire world has heard about Robert Randolph. Currently Robert (and his Family Band) is knee-deep in his world tour with one of, if not the most famous and influential guitarists alive, Mr. Eric Clapton. After completing his tour with Slowhand, including six nights at the world famous Royal Albert Hall in London, Robert will head back over to the states. Once back in America, Robert will stop off at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, hit another Bonnaroo and play a few shows with some guy named Dave Matthews. Not bad for a young man in his mid-20s, and even better when you consider the year he's had. Not even thinking about the guest appearances and record sales he's racked up, lets just focus on Robert performing at the Grammys on national television this year, and don't forget he's being sought out by both Stevie Wonder and Prince. Oh, and his latest release, Unclassified earned four stars in Rolling Stone a few months before they ranked him in their "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" poll. When you lay it all out like that it starts to sound pretty ridiculous. And like any great story there is always the icing on the cake--that sweet as all hell, proverbial cherry on top. Robert's icing is his instrument. The kid is playing the "sacred steel." He rocks a 13-string custom-made axe that screams the names and notes of legends gone by.
Playing an instrument that was originally used in low-income church congregations to substitute for an expensive organ, Randolph is literally playing a lap guitar made to speak the word of God. And the cherry? The cherry here is where Robert is rising out of, and how he was able to do it. Growing up in Irvington, New Jersey with divorced parents and overcrowded schools often leads to one of two options: jail or worse. As Robert says, "I was a bad kid, on my eighth life with only one left to go." As friends were dying and disappearing, Robert continued to follow his belief in the church, and his desire to play the guitar. Through staying inside practicing for hours, and both playing and praying in church, Robert was able to stay off the streets. His faith in the power above is so strong that not only does he speak to God, but God speaks to him. "It's been for the sake of music and for the sake of my own life that he has chosen me to play this instrument and this music." So just as that cherry sits atop the sundae, the vision of Robert walking out of the ghetto, sacred steel raised in hand, sits atop our story. Settle in as we speak with one of the world's fastest rising stars.
Kayceman: What was it like for you to be such a major part of the Grammys this past month?
Robert Randolph at the Grammys
By Wire Image |
Randolph: It was actually cool man; it was probably the coolest thing that will ever happen to us in our musical careers. Being a part of that whole thing, and being able to talk to all the different musical stars that have been around for such a long time, it was a great thing.
Kayceman: How about the actual playing that you did, with Earth, Wind & Fire, P-Funk, and Outkast, how was that for you?
Randolph: Oh that was awesome. To be on stage with all those legends. And they were rooting for us as much as we were rooting for them. It's great to be able to mix our music in with theirs, and that whole segment was probably the best part of the whole Grammy show, so that was awesome.
Kayceman: Was there any sense of disappointment being nominated for a couple of Grammys and not walking home with one?
Randolph: No, y'know it's an honor to even be nominated in any category whatever it is. And for me it just goes to show that all we gotta do is continue to make music that people will enjoy from all genres of music. And to keep the energy that we have and the originality that we have, and just continue to build on that and see what happens. To be nominated for two different Grammys in two totally different categories is just insane, so we'll just see what happens.
I also read recently that Stevie Wonder had requested you for the Save The Music Benefit--is that right?
Well that went down two days before the Grammys so we had to cancel because they made us do the Grammy rehearsal that same night.
That's too bad, it would have been nice to link up with Stevie.
Oh yeah, he's the king of everything. And y'know he requested that we do that performance with him so I'm sure it will happen. We'll play somewhere where he is playing and we'll hook up.
I also know that you are going to head out with Eric Clapton for a world tour. How are your feelings about that? Are you excited, nervous?
The Fillmore, CA : 02.08.03
By John Croxton |
Not really nervous, it will be another thing that we'll cherish, to be able to honor him and his whole musical career. How he's been able to stay around so long. So for us it will be another opportunity to get into another crowd, and to really get involved with Eric Clapton and play and jam with him.
Now thinking back to a few years ago, and the fact that you are now doing this world tour with Clapton and playing Royal Albert Hall, and the Grammys, and Stevie Wonder requesting your presence, would you have ever in your wildest dreams have imagined this four years ago?
No, you know, I didn't. When I first started playing in the city, in New York, it was just kind of "go out and play." And I was still going to work then, those late night shows and then get up for work early in the morning. I didn't think about being a musician and an artist that would be here doing all this stuff today. But talking to a lot of different music fans in the whole jam world, when we started playing the Mercury Lounges and stuff like that in the city, they would encourage me to keep going because the music is great and people need to hear it. So as time went on things started to happen and things continue to happen, so no, I didn't expect this at all.
Now you are currently touring with O.A.R. right?
Yeah.
What do you think of their music?
You know I respect every band for what they do. And I've got to meet the guys, and they are great guys. They are probably some of the nicest guys you could ever meet. I wouldn't say that it's exactly my kind of music, but they are great at what they do. And their music gets out and people like it, and that's cool. They have their cool, kinda reggae, kinda swing-rock thing going on, and it's cool. We met them in the spring time and we thought it would be a good idea because they wanted to get in front of some of our fans, like the core rock-out kinda fans, and they have a real young fan base which is good for us because we haven't had a chance to play in front of a young audience. So I like to try just different things and see what happens, so it's cool touring with these guys.
He [Houser] was a great guitar player; he had a very unique style. He was just a low-key guy who liked to have fun, may he rest in peace. And may his legacy continue to live on through all guitar players, and all core music fans. Because he laid down a style of guitar playing, and he had an aura about himself that you just wanted to grab hold of.
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I wanted to ask you about... I know you opened up for and played with Widespread Panic back at the end of April in 2002. And I've been pretty intimately tied to that band for a while now, and I know that was a very intense time for the entire organization with Mikey Houser being really sick and still playing, so I'm kind of curious about what that was like for you both on and off stage.
Michael Houser by Pamela Rody |
You know for us it was great. Because we used to hear so much about Panic and I had met the guys once before that, but really getting a chance to play with them at Oak Mountain was, you know for me, one of the sickest things ever. You know, because the whole place was rocking and that's a great audience--that whole Widespread Panic audience--they've embraced us and taken us under their wing. It's been cool, Widespread, I think they should be much bigger than they are, they don't get the credit that they deserve, y'know? Some of the other bands out there that are huge... you know Widespread should be one of the biggest bands out there. But that's just the nature of the business and things like that happen, but I'm sure they're happy where they are. You know a band like Widespread Panic, they should get to play on the Grammys, there is no reason they shouldn't. And as a musician you want to go into new things, like do some TV stuff because it helps the music get out there to different people. And who knows, we'll see what happens in the future for Widespread, but they are a great band, and they are great guys. And we all hang out, and I talk to Schools and JB and JoJo during the course of the year, so it's cool man. I just wish they would play like Giants Stadium and be as big as like Phish and a lot of these other bands.
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