The musical life of Wayne "Bassman" Robinson
I was born in Warsaw, Virginia to the parents of Allen & Hilda Robinson. My love for music came from watching my Uncle Oscar "Jack" Parker" playing the guitar. My first guitar was a Roy Rogers Guitar my parents got me for Christmas. I played with it until it broke, then I would play with a homemade guitar in which rubber bands were my strings. My next guitar was an electric guitar, it was red and the name brand was "Kent". As the years went by I continued trying to play the guitar. Then finally, I took up music in school under the direction of Douglas "Doc" Anderson, where I learned to play the e-flat clarinet.
I will never forget one Saturday we played in a club in Richmond, Virginia, the "Sarhara". After we performed, then Wiliam Bell (Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday) came behind us. They didn't have a bass player, so they ask me to sit in with them. With me being a young kid, scared half to death, but still I said "why not". So, evidently I did ok for them, because the next two groups that came up didn't have a bass player either, and I was asked to play for them as well. They were: "The Moments" (Love On A Two Way Street) and "The Dells" (Stay In My Corner) at that time that really made my night. The talk around school for a whole year after that was "Bassman playing for all those stars" ... I felt like a star my self even though I was scared half to death to play at the time.
I got out of school and went to work in Washington, D.C. I was still playing music every week with a band called "Total Control" and we played just about everywhere. I also played with a band called "Hot Property". While in DC I had a chance to sit in with "Chuck Brown and The Young Senators", that was their name at the time, now they are called "Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers".
In 1971, I got motorcycle fever, so I brought a 450cc Honda and road it to work and often to Virginia. I also road it to see my girl friend, Mary, who lived in Maryland at the time. In 1972 Mary became my wife, and we've been married for 37 years now. I gave up playing live music and became a DJ where I spinned records for people for different occassions. I had the opportunity to travel to many places and was the first black "Dico DJ" in the Richmond, Westmoreland, and Essex County areas. After DJ'ing got real popular I got out of the business, and started playing gospel music.
I started playing gospel music with a group called "The Gospel Tones" of Warsaw, Virginia. Then I went with a group from Westmoreland County, Virginia called "The Sons of Faith". It was in 1990 that two other guys and myself got together and started "The New Singing Disciples" from Richmond and Westmoreland County Virginia, where I'm still manager and bass player today.
I have recorded three CD's of my own, and have recorded and played on two CD's of "Shane Cooley", recorded and played on a tape with "The Sons of Faith" of Westmoreland County, Virginia (Getting Ready to See Jesus), recorded three CD's with my present group "The New Singing Disciples".
I thank God for all He has done for me and my music, because if it wasn't for Him it would not have happened.
Thank You Lord - Wayne "Bassman" Robinson.
Wayne "Bassman" Robinson
