A longtime Birmingham music icon, Roscoe Robinson died Thursday at the age of 97 after a seven-decade career spanning gospel and soul music.
Robinson was widely known for performing with legendary groups and artists, including The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Blind Boys of Mississippi, and soul star Sam Cooke.
A gospel-rooted voice with a long career
Born in 1928 in Dermott, Robinson later settled in Birmingham, where he lived for decades and became a fixture in the city’s music scene.
According to Bob Friedman of the Birmingham Black Radio Museum, Robinson was deeply committed to both his faith and his craft.
Friedman described him as a serious performer who was passionate about gospel music but also known for his warm personality and love of performing.
Robinson continued recording well into his later years, even releasing new gospel and secular tracks in 2018 shortly before turning 90.
Writing a song later recorded by Sam Cooke
In the early 1960s, Robinson wrote the song “Somewhere There’s A God,” which was recorded by The Womack Brothers, a group that included future soul legend Bobby Womack.
The song was later adapted into the secular track “Somewhere There’s a Girl,” which was recorded by Sam Cooke.
Years later, Robinson successfully pursued legal action to receive royalties for writing the song.
Beyond songwriting, Robinson also achieved success in R&B with tracks like “That’s Enough” (1966) and “Do It Right Now” (1967).
A legacy tied to Alabama’s music history
Robinson also recorded music connected to the famous FAME Recording Studios in Florence.
The studio paid tribute following his death, crediting Robinson as part of the generation of artists who helped bridge gospel and Southern soul music. That influence contributed to the rise of the Muscle Shoals area as a global music destination during the 1960s and 1970s.
Fans and collaborators remembered Robinson as a powerful voice whose music and legacy helped shape the sound of gospel and soul in Alabama.
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