Instruments Vocals Associated acts Leonard Cohen Role Songwriter Albums Everybody Knows | Labels independent Name Sharon Robinson Record label Columbia Records | |
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Genres Folk, folk rock, rock, world, pop Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, musician Awards Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media Nominations Grammy Award for Best R&B Song Similar People Leonard Cohen, Hamish Stuart, Harold Faltermeyer, Danny Sembello, Keith Forsey Profiles | ||
Sharon Robinson (born in San Francisco in 1958) is an American songwriter, record producer, and vocalist. She is best known as a frequent writing collaborator with Leonard Cohen, 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, and others.
Contents
Biography
Robinson excelled in school, and as a National Merit semi-finalist she earned a scholarship to Salem College in West Virginia. Halfway to her degree, money and music proved a stronger draw, so she left school to front a touring Top-40 band for several years. Burnout on the road brought her back to college; this time to the California Institute of the Arts to study music.
She toured as back-up singer for Cohen in 1979 and 1980, and then again during 2008–2013. They collaborated on writing his much acclaimed 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 awarded a Grammy in 1985 for the song "New Attitude" (from Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack), recorded by Patti LaBelle.
In 2004, Sharon Robinson gave a full-length interview discussing her life, career and work with Leonard Cohen (available on her site).
In 2005, Robinson's new song "The High Road" was performed by Bettye LaVette on 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 6 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 its doors 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. Sharon 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 Sharon was profiled in a cover story in the Financial Times, "Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson: a special relationship". A book of her photographs, "On Tour with Leonard Cohen", was released in December 2014 along with exhibits at the Morrison Hotel Galleries in New York and Los Angeles, and performances in those cities and Toronto.
Robinson performed songs from both her albums and also songs she co-wrote with Cohen on a European Tour in March and April 2015, coinciding with the release of her second solo album entitled, "Caffeine", singing in Belgium, Holland, Germany, France, Ireland, Scotland and England.
Collaborative Albums
Solo Albums
Songs
Alexandra Leaving
Invisible Tattoo
Everybody Knows
Summertime
Party for the Lonely
The High Road
Secondhand
Forever in a Kiss
Sustenance
The Train
II
III Minuetto - Trio
IV Rondo - Allegretto
I Andantino mosso
II Andante - ma moderato
III Scherzo Allegro molto - Trio Animato
II Scherzo Allegro non troppo - Trio Presto giocoso
IV Poco allegro
I Allegro non troppo