Robert Brookins

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Robert Brookins
Birth nameRobert Franklin Brookins Jr.[1]
Born(1962-10-07)October 7, 1962
OriginSacramento, California, United States
Died(2009-04-15)April 15, 2009 (aged 46)
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, producer
InstrumentsSinging, keyboards, drums
Years active1979–2009
Labels
Associated acts

Robert Brookins (October 7, 1962 – April 15, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, producer and musician. Brookins was a member of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. He also worked with artists such as George Duke, Stephanie Mills, Stanley Clarke and The Whispers.[2]

Early years[]

Brookins was born and raised in Del Paso Heights, Sacramento, California.[3] He began singing at the age of four, drumming at five and playing keyboards at nine years old. At the age of 11 he started up his own band entitled Little Robert & the Fondeles.[2] The band went on to win Motown's 1974 Soul Search Contest.[2] Brookins was also an alumnus of Grant Union High School.[3]

Musical career[]

Brookins later formed a group with his brother Michael known as Afterbach.[2] The duo issued a critically acclaimed album entitled Matinee in 1981 on Maurice White's ARC Records, an imprint of Columbia Records.[2] After such he performed as a keyboardist on Philip Bailey's 1983 album Continuation as well as Ramsey Lewis and Nancy Wilson's 1984 album The Two of Us.[4]

Brookins then composed on Deniece Williams 1984 album Let's Hear It for the Boy and The Isley Brothers' 1985 LP Masterpiece.[4] He also made a guest appearance on Stanley Clarke's 1985 LP Find Out!,[5] then composed on Rebbie Jackson's 1986 LP Reaction and Al Jarreau's 1986 album L Is for Lover.[4]

During 1986 he also released his debut solo album entitled In the Night. Brookins later performed on Stanley Clarke's 1986 album Hideaway and George Duke's 1986 self titled LP. He went on to produce Bobby Brown on his 1987 debut album King of Stage and Stephanie Mills on her 1987 LP If I Were Your Woman.[4] If I Were Your Woman has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.[6]

Brookins composed on Nancy Wilson's 1987 album Forbidden Lover and guested on George Duke's 1988 album Thief in the Night. He worked as a songwriter on Jeffrey Osborne's 1988 LP One Love-One Dream and Jackie Jackson's 1988 album Be the One.[2][4][7]

Brookins then performed on George Howard's 1988 album Reflections and produced Christopher Williams on his 1989 LP Adventures in Paradise. Brookins also produced The Whispers' on their 1989 album More of the Night. More of the Night has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.[8] He later produced Michael Cooper on his 1989 LP Just What I Like and Jeffrey Osborne on his 1989 album Only Human.[4]

Brookins went on to collaborate with the band Earth, Wind & Fire on their 1990 album Heritage. He later featured on Stanley Clarke and George Duke's 1990 LP 3 and produced Keisha Jackson's 1991 self titled album.[4]

Brookins went on to play on Wayman Tisdale's 1995 LP Power Forward and produced Tisdale's 1996 album In the Zone.[4] In the Zone reached No. 7 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and No. 9 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. He later appeared on George Duke's 2000 LP Cool.[9][10] He also became Earth, Wind & Fire's keyboardist and musical director.[11] He went to perform on the band's 2003 album The Promise.[4]

Death and legacy[]

Writing for AllMusic, Andrew Hamilton said: "The often overused term multi-talented is true to its definition when referring to Robert F. Brookins."[2]

On April 15, 2009 Brookins died from a heart attack.[12][13][3] He was survived by a son.[12] Since his passing, an annual concert has been held within Sacramento in his honour.[14]

During 2019, The Sacramento City Council also had the City's Nuevo Park be renamed after the musician.[11]

Solo discography[]

Albums[]

Studio albums[]

Year Title Peak chart positions Record label
US R&B
[15]
1986 In the Night – MCA
1988 Let It Be Me 37 MCA
2002 Something You Can Make Love To – MusicSoft Works

Singles[]

Year Title Peak chart positions Record label
US R&B[15]
1986 "Our Lives" 95 MCA
1987 "Come to Me" – MCA
1988 "Where Is The Love" with Stephanie Mills 18 MCA
1989 "Don't Tease Me" 39 MCA

References[]

  1. ^ "Renaming Nuevo Park as Robert Brookins Park". Granicus. June 11, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Hamilton, Andrew. "Robert Brookins – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Remembering Sacramento Native, Robert F. Brookins". Sac Cultural Club. April 15, 2013. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Robert Brookins – Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  5. ^ Ginell, Richard S. "Stanley Clarke – Find Out!". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  6. ^ "Gold & Platinum: Stephanie Mills: If I Were Your Woman". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  7. ^ Sanders, Charles L. (July 1989). "Sounding Off – The Best in Recorded Music". Ebony. Vol. 44 no. 9. ISSN 0012-9011.
  8. ^ "Gold & Platinum: The Whispers: More of the Night". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  9. ^ "Wayman Tisdale: In the Zone Chart History – Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  10. ^ "Wayman Tisdale: In the Zone Chart History – Contemporary Jazz Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Ding, Jaimie (June 22, 2019). "He's the 'DNA of R&B.;' Now Sacramento is naming city park after Robert Brookins". The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b "Robert Brookins Soul Music Tribute". Sac Cultural Club. May 1, 2009. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  13. ^ Ross, Kevin (April 16, 2009). "Singer/Producer/Songwriter Robert Brookins has Died". Radio Facts. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  14. ^ "Always Remembered: Robert F. Brookins Black Music Month Celebration". Sacramento365. June 1, 2013. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b "Robert Brookins – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
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