Robert Ward (blues musician)
Encyclopedia
Robert Ward was an American
blues
and soul
guitarist
. He was known for founding the Ohio Untouchables, the band that later would become the Ohio Players
. He played the guitar with a unique tone soaked in vibrato coming from the Magnatone amplifier.
, he moved to Dayton, Ohio
in 1960 and formed the Ohio Untouchables. The group released series of singles from LuPine label including "Your Love Is Amazing" which would become one of Ward's signature songs. Ward left the group in 1965.
Then he moved to the Detroit
area, actually residing in Toledo, Ohio and released some single under his name in the late 60's. He disappeared from the music scene sometime in the 70's after working as a session player for Motown
.
It was in the early 1990s that he came back into the spotlight. He was "rediscovered" by Black Top Records
and released his first full-length album Fear No Evil in 1991. He released two more albums in the next four years for the label. In the mid-1990s he did limited touring, including a date in Minneapolis with Curtis Obeta and "The Butanes", and several dates in Michigan including Kalamazoo, Three Rivers and Grand Rapids. After the label folded in the late 1990s, WRKR
Kalamazoo blues DJ Marty Spaulding, who Robert had appointed his manager, arranged a recording contract with Delmark Records
to release New Role Soul in 2000. In his last years he faced a series of health problems, including two strokes, which prevented him from performing or recording.
He died at his home in Dry Branch, Georgia, about six miles from Macon
, on December 25, 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He was known for founding the Ohio Untouchables, the band that later would become the Ohio Players
Ohio Players
The Ohio Players were an American funk and R&B band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their double #1 hit songs "Fire" and "Love Rollercoaster".- Biography :...
. He played the guitar with a unique tone soaked in vibrato coming from the Magnatone amplifier.
Biography
Born Robert Jeryl Ward in Luthersville, GeorgiaLuthersville, Georgia
Luthersville is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 783 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Luthersville is located at ....
, he moved to Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
in 1960 and formed the Ohio Untouchables. The group released series of singles from LuPine label including "Your Love Is Amazing" which would become one of Ward's signature songs. Ward left the group in 1965.
Then he moved to the Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
area, actually residing in Toledo, Ohio and released some single under his name in the late 60's. He disappeared from the music scene sometime in the 70's after working as a session player for Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
.
It was in the early 1990s that he came back into the spotlight. He was "rediscovered" by Black Top Records
Black Top Records
Black Top Records was a New Orleans, Louisiana based independent record label founded in 1981 by brothers Nauman S. Scott, III and Hammond Scott. The label specialized in blues and R&B music. The first release was "Talk To You By Hand" by Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets...
and released his first full-length album Fear No Evil in 1991. He released two more albums in the next four years for the label. In the mid-1990s he did limited touring, including a date in Minneapolis with Curtis Obeta and "The Butanes", and several dates in Michigan including Kalamazoo, Three Rivers and Grand Rapids. After the label folded in the late 1990s, WRKR
WRKR
WRKR is a radio station broadcasting a mainstream rock music format, combining current and classic album-oriented rock tracks. Licensed to Portage, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1988.-External links:...
Kalamazoo blues DJ Marty Spaulding, who Robert had appointed his manager, arranged a recording contract with Delmark Records
Delmark Records
Delmark Records is an independent American jazz and blues record label, based in Chicago since 1958. The label originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953 when owner Bob Koester released a recording of the Windy City Six, a traditional jazz group, under the "Delmar" imprint.-History:Born in 1932 in...
to release New Role Soul in 2000. In his last years he faced a series of health problems, including two strokes, which prevented him from performing or recording.
He died at his home in Dry Branch, Georgia, about six miles from Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, on December 25, 2008.
Discography
- 1991: Fear No Evil (Black Top)
- 1993: Rhythm Of The People (Black Top)
- 1995: Hot Stuff (Relic), a collection of his early sides from the 1960s
- 1995: Black Bottom (Black Top)
- 2000: New Role Soul (Delmark)
External links
- [ Biography on Allmusic]