SAM ROBINSON MUSIC FESTIVAL (#93) I am going to take a few days off to make a final edit of my John Prine Documentary, so I thought I would end for now with another story about music. Sam Robinson was Director of Student Discipline for the Pinellas County School System, but got his as a band director. I met Sam through the St. Petersburg Community Alliance and the Suncoasters. Sam died in 1983 and I kept pushing for a music festival named in his honor.
In 1986, the Suncoasters agreed to add the Sam Robison Music Festival to the slate of events for the Festival of States. We started small, just one night with the help of Chris Styles, but in our second year featured the “Crusaders” with Joe Sample and Wilton Felder. The proceeds from the 1986 and 1987 Sam Robinson Music Festivals raised $5,000 for scholarships in Sam’s honor.
In 1988, we featured Belinda Womack and Lee Ritenor. The Sam Robinson Music expanded to 3 days in 1991, featuring Dr. John and Diane Shur. My favorites were the years we booked Ray Charles and then B.B. King.
Great American Music Hall Oct 3, 1975 17-25-14
In the mid-1990s, we began to work with St. Petersburg attorney, Charles W. Ross. and the Tampa Bay Blues Festival. In 1998, we featured The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Lucky Peterson, and Ko Ko Taylor. That was the last year I was involved. Many thanks to Chuck Ross, of the Back Track Blues band and the Ringside Cafe fame, for all of his hard work, and carry on for so many years.
One story I have to share is “The Audience.” All of the Music Festivals were held in Straub Park on the waterfront. I wanted to have a night on the south side of town, near where Sam had started as a teacher. In 1997 we we had a Picnic in Campbell Park on Friday night, sponsored by the Festival of States and the Community Alliance. The music included pianist Al Downing, a Tampa Bay Jazz legend, and as I discovered in my research, one of the original Tuskegee Airman. The Saturday night show in Straub Park featured Billy Preston.
On Friday night at Campbell Park we had cokes, popcorn, and hotdogs for sale. There was an art teacher with drawing and painting supplies in the Community Room to entertain the children. We tried, but we must have done a poor job getting the word out in the community.
When the show started there was one man sitting in the park watching from a folding chair he had brought with him. Children started to come to the Community Room to draw and paint. But no one else came to watch the music.
At intermission I went over to talk to our audience of one. “My wife is volunteering in the Concession Stand.” For the rest of the night, he was “the audience.” There were about 20 children who had come to see what was going on, and they had fun waiting and drawing. At the second intermission, I bought all the kids a coke, popcorn, and a hotdog after we closed the Community Room.
The kids had a great time and enjoyed their dinner. Then they all got a refill of their popcorn and cokes and headed home. I watch a 7 year-old, holding his 3 year-old sister’s hand, with his 5 year-old brother walking beside them. The three were all smiling and holding a coke or popcorn as they walk down the sidewalk. Despite an audience of one, the evening was a success.
Thank you for all you did Sam Robinson. Also, thank you Al Castronovo, Chris Styles, Al Downing, Skip Driver, Reggie Ligon, and Charles Felton. You are all remembered fondly. (Note: Photos are shown in this order.)
