Sharon Robinson | |
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Background information | |
Born | 1958 (age 65–66) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Genres | Folk, folk rock, rock, Adult Contemporary, Rhythm and blues, Easy Listening. world, Soul, pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Labels | independent |
Sharon Robinson (born in 1958 in San Francisco, California, U.S.) is an American singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer. She is best known as a frequent writing collaborator with Leonard Cohen, [1] although she has written songs for a number of other artists as well, including The Pointer Sisters, Aaron Neville, Brenda Russell, Diana Ross, Don Henley, Michael Bolton, Randy Crawford, Patti LaBelle, Roberta Flack, The Temptations, Bettye LaVette and others.
Sharon Robinson first recorded an album on Baby Grand in 1977. Allegedly because of the tax shelter issues with the label, Sharon was reluctant to use her own name, hence the outfit / project was named Terea (a name she had used in the past and her middle name it is believed). On the untitled album she is being backed by members of Street Feet (who also released an album on Baby Grand in 1977).
Robinson toured as back-up singer for Cohen in 1979 and 1980, and then again during 2008–2013. They collaborated on writing the songs "Everybody Knows" and "Waiting for the Miracle", released in 1988 and 1992 respectively. In 2001, she co-wrote, produced, arranged and performed the backing tracks (as well as appearing alongside Cohen on the cover) for his album Ten New Songs . Robinson also contributed to three tracks on Cohen's 2004 album Dear Heather , and duetted with Cohen on "The Letters".
She was given a Grammy Award in 1985 for the song "New Attitude" (from the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack), recorded by Patti LaBelle.
In 2004, Robinson gave a full-length interview discussing her life, career and work with Leonard Cohen.
In 2005, Robinson wrote the song "The High Road" specifically for Bettye LaVette for her album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise , which was picked as #59 at Amazon's best of 2005 Editor's picks. Robinson's recent work also includes the songs written for Chris Botti.
In 2008, Robinson released her debut solo album Everybody Knows, which includes three songs she co-wrote with Cohen: "Alexandra Leaving", "Everybody Knows", and "Summertime", their first collaboration, originally recorded by Diana Ross for her 1987 album Red Hot Rhythm & Blues . The set also includes "The High Road", and six new tracks written by Robinson.
On October 27, 2008, Vibrant Records released Everybody Knows in the United Kingdom and Europe, replacing the original artwork from Leonard Cohen with a photo of Robinson. In February 2009, Vibrant Records closed due to the bankruptcy of its distributor Pinnacle. In April 2009, UK label Freeworld Records re-released Everybody Knows in Europe with the original Leonard Cohen-drawn cover art. Robinson self-released the album in the U.S.
In 2008 Robinson joined The Leonard Cohen World Tour which lasted until December 2013. In August 2013 she was profiled in a cover story in the Financial Times. A book of her photographs was released in December 2014 along with exhibits in New York and Los Angeles, and performances in those cities and Toronto.
Sharon Robinson appeared on Cohen's 2012 album Old Ideas singing, arranging choirs and playing synth bass on four tracks.
Robinson performed songs from both her albums and also songs she co-wrote with Cohen on a tour in March and April 2015, coinciding with the release of her second solo album, entitled Caffeine, singing in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France, Ireland, Scotland and England. Caffeine included 10 new tracks written and produced by Sharon Robinson herself, with one song, "Lucky", co-written with Cohen in the 1980s but not recorded.
In 2015, Robinson released a four-track EP titled Sharon Robinson EP 1, covering songs by Tom Waits, Otis Redding, Bruce Hornsby, and Eric Clapton. After her second 2015 tour was postponed, she toured in Europe again in August and September 2016. In August 2016, she was the guest of honor at the 10th Leonard Cohen Event, held in Amsterdam.
Dear Heather is the 11th studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, released by Columbia Records in 2004. It was dedicated "in memory of Jack McClelland 1922-2004."
Ten New Songs is Leonard Cohen's tenth studio album, released in 2001. His first album in 9 years, Ten New Songs was co-written and produced by Sharon Robinson in Cohen's and Robinson's home studios in Los Angeles. The album peaked at #143 on the Billboard 200, #4 in Canada, #1 in Poland and #1 in Norway.
I'm Your Man is the eighth studio album by Canadian singer Leonard Cohen, released on February 2, 1988 by Columbia Records. The album marked Cohen's further move to a more modern sound, with many songs having a synthesizer-oriented production. It soon became the most successful studio album which Cohen had released in the US, and it reached number one in several European countries, transforming Cohen into a best-selling artist.
Johnette Napolitano is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and bassist for the alternative rock group Concrete Blonde.
Famous Blue Raincoat: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is the sixth studio album recorded by the American singer Jennifer Warnes. It debuted on the Billboard 200 on February 14, 1987, and peaked at No. 72 in the US Billboard chart, No.33 in the UK albums chart, and No.8 in Canada. Originally released by Cypress Records, it was reissued by Private Music after Cypress went out of business. It is the only Jennifer Warnes album to make the UK albums chart.
Bettye LaVette is an American soul singer who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, when her album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise was released to widespread critical acclaim, and was named on many critics' "Best of 2005" lists. Her next album, The Scene of the Crime, debuted at number one on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart and was nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2008 Grammy Awards. She received the Legacy of Americana Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 Americana Music Honors & Awards.
I've Got My Own Hell to Raise is an album by Bettye LaVette. It was released on September 27, 2005, on Anti-. The album comprises covers of songs written by other female artists including Aimee Mann, Joan Armatrading, Sinéad O'Connor, Rosanne Cash, Dolly Parton and Fiona Apple, whose song "Sleep to Dream" (1997) contains the album's title within its lyrics. I've Got My Own Hell to Raise was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005.
"Everybody Knows" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and collaborator Sharon Robinson. It has often been covered and used in soundtracks.
"First We Take Manhattan" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. It was originally recorded by American singer Jennifer Warnes on her 1986 Cohen tribute album Famous Blue Raincoat, which consisted entirely of songs written or co-written by Cohen.
Perla Batalla is an American vocalist, composer and arranger who first gained international attention as a backup singer for Leonard Cohen before embarking on a solo career at his encouragement. Her debut album, Perla Batalla, was released on Discovery Records in 1994. She formed her own record label, Mechuda Music, and released the album Mestiza in 1998, making sales through her website. Discoteca Batalla (2002) was recorded as an homage to her parents' record shop of the same name. In 2005, Batalla recorded a tribute album to Cohen, titled Bird on the Wire, and featured in Hal Willner's Cohen tribute concert film, Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man.
Cohen Live is a live album by Leonard Cohen released in 1994.
A Woman Like Me is a studio album by American singer Bettye LaVette, released on January 21, 2003, by Blues Express. It was her first U.S. release in 20 years and was recorded by LaVette with producer and songwriter Dennis Walker.
"In My Secret Life" is a song written and performed by Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson. Bob Metzger plays the guitar. The song first appears on the album Ten New Songs, released in 2001.
Live in London is a (double) live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. It was released on CD by Columbia/Sony March 31, 2009, is his 18th album, and his first live release since Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 in 2001. A DVD of the performance was simultaneously released by Columbia/Sony.
Old Ideas is the twelfth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, released in January 2012. It is Cohen's highest-charting release in the United States, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200, 44 years after the release of his first album. The album topped the charts in 11 countries, including Finland, where Cohen became, at the age of 77, the oldest chart-topper, during the album's debut week. The album was released on January 27, 2012, in some countries and on January 31, 2012, in the U.S. On January 22, before its release, the album was streamed online by NPR and on January 23 by The Guardian.
Matador: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is the fifth solo album recorded by the Canadian singer Patricia O'Callaghan and was released by the Marquis Classics label in January 2012.
"Let Me Down Easy" is a song that was first recorded in 1965 by American soul singer Bettye LaVette. It was written by Dee Dee Ford, who copyrighted in 1965 under her married name, Wrecia Holloway. The original recording by LaVette, released as a single by Calla Records, peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles chart.
Worthy is a studio album from Bettye LaVette. Red Cherry Records released the album on January 27, 2015. She worked with Joe Henry, in the production of this album. The album was nominated for Best Blues Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.
Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen was a concert, which was held at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec on November 6, 2017 as a tribute to singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen marking the first anniversary of his death. The concert, which featured musicians performing Cohen songs, was subsequently broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a radio and television special, airing on CBC Music on November 7, 2017 and on CBC Television on January 3, 2018.
LaVette! is a studio album by Bettye LaVette, released through Jay-Vee Records on July 16, 2023. The album consists of cover versions of songs written by American musician singer-songwriter Randall Bramblett, whom LaVette called "the best writer that I have heard in the last 30 years". It was produced by Steve Jordan and includes collaborations with Pedrito Martinez, Steve Winwood, Anthony Hamilton, Ray Parker Jr., Charles Hodges, John Mayer and Jon Batiste. LaVette embarked on a tour in mid-2023 in support of the album.