Welcome to Australian guitarist Richie Robinson's history page.

This is a story of passion for guitar that lifted a boy from street-kid to find his place among the most in-demand guitar performers in Australia.

This page shows only a limited look at Richie's work and history. Feel free to use the info here to prompt questions, or simply to gain insights into how music and the performance and production industries work.

Biography - Productions & Live Acts - Awards & Credits - Discography

Richie Robinson - Biography                                        

Richie Robinson is surely one of Australia's best-kept guitar secrets. Born in Alice Springs, a small town in outback Australia, Richie's first years as a guitar student were far from simple. His parents were against him playing guitar at all, and labeled his efforts "a waste of time".

His formative years were on a diet of Slim Dusty, Johnny Cash and the like. Country music was just about all there was for about the first eight years of his life, and he became a fan of a well-told story, and some good guitar pickin' - which he loves to this day.

In their remote outback location, Richie's family didn't have television until he was 10 years old. Up until the age of 8, the radio was everything was Richie's only means of entertainment - until his neighbour moved to another town and gave Richie his old guitar. It only had two strings on it, and Richie made the most of each of them, - as he has done ever since!!

Richie took every moment possible to get away from his parents so he could play and learn. As time went on Richie found the old Rock n Roll stations on the radio, and by the time telivision was available to his family, Richie had already worked out those typical Deep Purple and Doors songs that most guitar players begin with.

Richie moved to the city aged 11, and unable to live at home with his father, he had the good fortune to live instead with his Grandfather, Les Kyte. Les was a professional Classical-Jazz pianist and began his career as a movie theatre pianist in the days when movies had no sound. Les later ran various sized jazz ensembles around South Australia for many years. On retiring from full-time performance Les settled into his role as master musician at the Academy of Music and Languages in Adelaide, which remained in operation until his death in 1990.

Les Kyte was a major influence on Richie's insights and abilities and no doubt provided the foundation required for Richie to later find his place among the most employed guitar players in Australia.

By his early teens, Richie was working consistently as a live musician. By his mid teens he also had studio gigs with local label Calibre Music, writing and playing guitar parts for local artists to shop overseas. Richie worked obsessively to learn to play rhythm and supporting roles as well as lead guitar.

At the age of 16, Richie studied jazz harmony with Bruce Hancock who now heads the Jazz Department at the Uninversity of Adelaide. Richie's dedication to the instrument led him to write a modal harmony course for guitar which he later taught at various centres around the city.

As curiosity gets the better of many of us, Richie's curiosity led him to dabble with acting and the film industry. For a time he worked as an extra on the legendary ANZAC movie Gallipoli with Mel Gibson and Mark Lee. Soon after, Richie chose his path as full-time player and has not looked back since. Despite his humble beginnings, and his on-going humble attitude, Richie eventually did find his place as one of the most employed guitar performers in Australia.

Working with a select few professionals, Richie has spent as much as 40 hours a week onstage on a regular basis, and has remained a professional performing guitarist all his adult life. Richie has toured Australia and played overseas, along the way, he has also picked up numerous songwriting awards, and become a published artist.

If Richie is not practicing during the day, he is almost always working in his studio. Richie's technical and studio know-how has seen him invited personally by the Elton John Band staff to assist with the set-up and of their drum kit and sound when the Back to Back tour came to Adelaide.

After leading a number of bands and act through the writing/production and radioplay phases, Richie's production work finally made the front cover of Music Network Magazine - Australia's leading music industry magazine. Following that, Richie's release of "Baby I Love Your Way" with L.A. artist Billy Lofton went on rotation 4 times a day on Australian national radio station Nova.

Richie continues to produce recordings in his custom built home studio, working with artists from around Australia and overseas via his publisher. Following in his Grandfather's footsteps, Richie also arranges and runs various sized ensembles with a number of Australian performers.

Richie's recent solo acoustic jazz performances have been described as "The best I have encountered" by the President of Legacy David Gray, and he has been complimented personally on his perfomance by Lieutenant Governor of South Australia Mr Hieu Van Le AO.

So far, Richie's humility has largely kept his name from the public eye, preferring to work namelessly in most professional situations. Most recently however, Richie has taken on management, and plans are in the works to have much more of Richie's perfomance history recorded and made available on CD. There are also plans to give Richie a much deserved boost to his profile both in Australia and overseas.

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Productions & Live Acts                                           

Various Studio Productions - Session Musician - Guitarist. Richie began his recording career as a teenager. Working with local label Calibre Music, he played on sessions with various local original artists. The recordings were 'shopped' overseas by the label.

The James Brothers - Live Band - Guitarist. Richie worked with the James Bros for a number of years. The founders, Joe and Carmine, are said to be the most successful duo in Australia. Playing the top venues in Australia for their market, this jet-setting band held seasonal residencies in Adelaide, Far North Queensland, The Gold Coast, the Northern Territory, and took on shorter residencies in various other tourist centres around Australia.

Snapshot - Live Band - Guitarist. Richie joined this band for “out-of-hours” extra work. They held residencies at various nightclubs around Adelaide and Australia.

The Circular Sound - Studio Band - Guitarist/Producer. Molly Meldrum and Andre Barralon of Melodeon Records received the recordings warmly. Plans for video and club release where in the works. The band split up before a deal was signed, the know-how has been re-applied and Richie is getting current productions released overseas.

The Buzz Boys - Live Band - Guitarist/Bandleader. Richie put together this club & blues band, which worked mostly as a three piece, playing locally and interstate. The band worked full time, and achieved some notoriety with cram packed audiences even spilling onto the stage!

Jazz Kats for Kids! - Live Production - Guitarist/Musical Director. Richie took his regular jazz gig at the time and produced a show for kids featuring the madcap singing scientist Professor Elliot Gnash . The show was an event at Adelaide Festival Centre, as part the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and featured jazz versions of popular children's songs.

Rainbow Soup - Radio Show Series - Music Producer/Director. Richie takes on role as Music producer for local kids radio show Rainbow Soup. The weekly show helped raise the profile of Michael Mills, who later became a regular on the national television show "The Bookplace".

Snorkel Simpson Spleenwart - Live Comic - Guitar/Vocal/Character. When Richie was a boy he was constantly pulling faces in the mirror and playing the fool (not much has changed!). With a constant need to see the lighter side of life, and to not able take himself at all too seriously, Richie loves to make kids laugh, and achieves that through roles such as "the singing gardener". Richie's goggling eyes and "stupendous guitar feats" have been seen on television, and in person by countless children in South Australia. So far this lighter side of Richie's character has been reserved for kids, but currently, an outlet for grown ups is being developed in the duo, "Johnston & Mr B"

JC and the Buzz Boys - Live Band - Guitarist/MD. JC and The Buzz Boys was a combination of the old Buzz Boys, with new singer JC (Julie Crowther). As well as a solid run with the Buzz Boys, JC worked with Richie in the popular duo Acoustic Soup.

The Buzz Show - Live Production - Guitarist/Producer/MD. Richie develops The Buzz Show as an outlet for his love of doing character work. The show was fairly short-lived due to intensive energy requirements, but was all the same, a hoot! The highlight of the Buzz Show in it's short life span was sharing the bill with singer of pop idol fame, Sophie Monk.

Live Jazz - Jazz Kats Band - Guitarist/Bandleader. Richie's celebration of his heroes and peers sees it's live aspect in twice-weekly shows in Adelaide. Lining up an ever-changing array up of musicians to take on the concept of not knowing how the song will go until it has started, was an daunting task, but created some memorable musical moments! Line ups featured some fabulous musicians, and some of the most respected players available. More

Acoustic Soup - Pop Duo - Guitar/Arranger/Producer. Using a variety of female vocalists, Acoustic soup worked at a relaxed pace of three shows per week, doing a variety of shows, from pub bars, to corporate and dinner/dance.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat” - Pit Band - Guitar. Richie took on a season as guitarist for Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat". Local vocalist Catherine Lambert played a leading role in the show, and it was just one of the many that Catherine and Richie have done together.

Catherine Lambert Band - Live Band - Guitar. The band plays mostly jazz, and a busy schedule took in performances for all sorts of major functions and festivals. High profile audiences included many dignitaries such as the Governor, Sir Eric Neal, and the Premier John Olsen - See Catherine Lambert

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Awards & Credits - (Continued)                                    

Songwriting Award: Songwriting Award - first place - demo section - Festival of Original Music final -Songwriters Composers and Lyricists Association - for “Wings” - 1994 - Checkout the winners, and profile at the SCALA site.

Songwriting Award: Songwriting award - "space section" - Australian Songwriting Association - for “http://www.cybersex” with Waiting for Venus - 1999

Award Recommendation: Richie was recommended for national award in Guitar Performance by the Australian Guild of Music and Speech during guitar studies, before attending university to further his jazz education.

No1 Debut: The debut CD from Waiting for Venus “Anomaly” enters the SAFM chart at No 1. It stayed in the top ten for a number of months in 1999.

Runner Up Teenage Jazz Guitarist: Richie was runner-up on Bert Newton's national television show "New Faces", as a teenage jazz guitarist. This was a commendable effort! In an era where being a vocalist is very much the requirement as an entertainer, he was "upped" at the age of nineteen only by a vocalist who had been a professional for twenty years!

Elder Conservatorium: Richie attends the University of Adelaide to study jazz. A full-time performer since his launch into the industry as a teenage jazz guitarist, studies acted as a refresher course as well as to further his knowledge.

APRA: Richie became an APRA Full Writer Member in 1994.

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Notable Events                                                           

Local Radio Plays Live At Sarah's and Richie Robinson Jazz N Blues: The word got around prompting announcers from local radio stations 5MBS and RADIO ADELAIDE to come in and see Richie play. Live at Sarah's establishes itself on the Adelaide Jazz and Blues scene, and the list of performers includes some very note-worthy local and interstate performers.

Skycity Adelaide takes on Richie Robinson as resident performer: (2008-2009) The increasing popularity of Richie Robinson's intimate acoustic jazz style prompts the North Restaurant at Skycity Adelaide to seek him out as a resident performer for Sunday evenings.

Billy Lofton and Farkaster take front cover of Music Network Magazine: Music Network is Australia's leading music industry magazine. Billy and Farkaster managed to score the front cover over the other artist of choice Keith Urban! Word has come in from multiple sources that Baby I Love Your Way will be a major hit, this includes contacts from EMI and SONY.

Billy Lofton & Farkaster Single Release Makes Top 5: Statistics this week from Music Point show downloads to radio of the single Baby I Love Your Way rose to number 5. This follows the release on Aug 23, and is an excellent position among the competition from major companies and artists world-wide. The single is the latest offering from American born RnB singer Billy Lofton, and is produced by Farkaster (AKA Australian guitarist Richie Robinson).

Daily Rotation on National Radio for Farkaster & Billy Lofton: Farkaster production (AKA Australian guitarist Richie Robinson) Baby I Love Your Way is downloaded by over 150 Australian radio stations, and goes onto rotation 4 times a day on national radio station Nova - from Monday Sept 4th 2006. On the international scene, the single is due to be launched in 12 countries simultaneously by Emporium Music.

Billy Lofton for Promo in the US. More trax follow the enthusiastic reception of the Peter Frampton song "Baby I Love Your Way" by Farkaster - featuring vocals by Billy Lofton. The 5 star rating by audiences in the UK, and the 7/10 rating by DJs in the US for the "Hard On Mix" following the digital release, led Billy heading off to the US to promote the trax.

Cooking up a treat: On the lighter side of entertainment, Richie joins partner Michael Mills and cooks up an all Australian treat on Beat The Chef. The pair's recipes included Kangaroo Fillet, Crocodile Skewers - Wattle Seed Coffee (tastes like chicory, nice!) - and Pale Ale and Wattle Seed Damper. The episode aired on ABC Television, Sept 21 2005, against master Australian chef Andrew Fielke.

Fiji's finest jazz performers, and guitar icon, Tom Mawi: During Richie's November 2004 tour of Fiji, he met up with guitar icon Tom Mawi. They played in Suva on the main island's South Coast. Tom showed his mastery on bass, and sweetened up the rhythm section as Richie played guitar. Superb international performer, Michelle Rounds, carried the vocals. Her exuberance, melodic flair, and mesmerising tone make her a magnetic performer. A fabulous time was had by all.

Publisher 2004: Richie signs with publisher Blue Pie Productions.

Disadvantaged Children's Program: Richie implements the Disadvantaged Children's Program as an extension of his production facility - Audio Lab Productions. The program brings affordable professional production and guitar expertise to high schools in disadvantaged areas. Having overcome many hardships himself, Richie has a genuine empathy for disadvantaged youth, and he is living proof for attendees that success on many levels is possible for all walks of life. This is another in a growing number of programs that Richie has successfully funded from his own pocket in order to help disadvantaged youth.

Role Model: Richie's brainchild Waiting for Venus is targeted as a positive example and a model for up-coming bands, during music industry education modules at the South Australian Music Industry Association.

Assisting Young Bands: Richie creates, organizes, and funds the Adelaide Young Bands’ Challenge; an educational challenge for high school bands to build a following and prepare for professional performance (many thanks to assistance from members of Waiting for Venus).

Elton John Band: Richie was asked for personally to assist with the set up and sound of the drum kit for the Elton John Band when they visited Adelaide on the Back to Back tour. Richie was using an almost identical setup in his studio at the time, and his expertise and assistance was much appreciated by the Elton John crew.

Environmental Issues: Waiting for Venus supports various environmental issues, which includes shows with John Schumann, and other notable Australian artists.

Best New Band: Waiting for Venus is hailed as best new band of 1997 by local radio.

Industry Advisor: Richie acts as industry advisor for “Back To The Wild” A very successful fundraiser for rock wallaby introduction at the Adelaide Zoo, featuring many notable bands - including national chart-toppers The Mark Of Cain.

Music Video: Video clip for "So This Is Love" is filmed in Adelaide, South Australia by talented students from the Media Arts Production Skills (MAPS) course at Hamilton College.

Stevie Wonder Band: Richie is invited to play with Stevie Wonder’s Band when they came in to play with the James Brothers in Lipsticks Nightclub after an Adelaide concert. They jammed till the early hours of the morning, Richie took home with him lasting insights from working so closely with one of the "Grand Daddies of Motown", bassist Nathan Watts. Stevie himself went and had a jam with John Farnham.

Full Time Touring: Richie's first full-time national tour was with The James Brothers, promoting the release of the single Nothing’s Gonna Change. Richie continued touring full-time for a number of years afterward, the 300 plus shows-per-year schedule often kept band members away from home for up to nine months a year.

James Morrison: James Morrison and his brother John asked Richie to join the band onstage for a jam during a gig at the Saracens Head Hotel in Adelaide. The most notable house guest on the day was the petite Kylie Minogue. Her energetic dancing was a buzz for the musos and patrons alike! (Richie must get to one of her gigs sometime - ed.)

Short Tours: Richie began his first week-end tours on the pub rock circuit as a teenager. Tours often went interstate to packed houses.

Mel Gibson: As a boy, Richie worked alongside Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, and a wonderful cast and crew in Peter Weir’s Gallipoli.

First Original Gig: A dedicated and enthusiastic songwriter from the age of ten, Richie's first all original gig was to a packed house at Adelaide Town Hall with his three piece band.

Guitar Harmony Course: At the age of 16, Richie was very much Inspired by guitarist Mickey Baker and jazz pianist Bruce Hancock. After doing a course with Bruce Hancock, Richie developed a harmony and improvisation course for guitar, which he then tutored to small classes at a number of city establishments. Today, some thirty years on, the course holds its own, and is still in regular use as a tool to rapidly familiarise students with the guitar.

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Discography                                                              

Baby I Love Your Way - Singles EP - Producer/Guitarist 2006

Hurricane Healing 2 - Guest Artist/Songwriter/Producer - 2005

Hurricane Healing 1 - Guest Artist/Songwriter/Producer - 2005

Soiree Deu - Jazz Duo with Catherine Lambert - Acoustic Guitar - 2005

Soiree - Jazz Duo with Catherine Lambert - Guitar - 2001

Let's Make Cents - The Turkish Earthquake Appeal Album - Guest Artist - 2000

The Most Groovy Album Ever - Professor Elliot Gnash - Producer/Musician - 2000

Anomaly - Waiting for Venus - Production/Guitar/Vocals/Songwriting - 1999

Ascension - Roger Hunt Album - Guitar - 1998

Welcome To The Other Side - FADI - Producer/Multi Instrumentalist - 1996

Big and Strong - SCALA Album, Guest Artist/Songwriter - 1995

Living In Suburbia - Funky Australiana Band The Bite - Production/Vocals/Guitar - 1995

Robert Who - Short Movie Soundtrack - Music Composer/Producer - 1994

Plus many more demos, soundtracks, jingles, and productions.

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