Robby's father worked in show biz for the David Wolper Organization while his mother appeared in numerous motion pictures including a series of Elvis Presley films. Robby even met The King. Surrounded by some of the most artistic minds of the time, Robby spent much of his childhood in the company of Dennis Hopper, a relationship that would in turn have a powerful impact on his own creativity.
As Robby matured, he learned to combine the best of what he loved about both those worlds. By thirteen, he was singing his songs in Taos Plaza Cantinas and Cafés, recording in Hollywood with celebrated Native American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis, recording artist Johnny Rivers, and legendary producer Van Dyke Parks. Robby's music had its radio debut on KROQ introduced by “The Mayor Of Sunset Strip”, Rodney Bingenheimer.
Throughout his youth, Robby performed in Hollywood's talked about club scene. He played the Palomino, the Troubadour, the Starwood, and the infamous of all, Whiskey A-Go-Go. He toured with country singer and academy award nominee Ronee Blakley, Rick Danko of The Band , Gene Clark of The Byrds, and Paul Butterfield of The Butterfield Blues Band . But it was his apprenticeship with Latin activist Reyes Tijerina and Native American activist Dennis Banks that would change the course of Robby's life and put him on the red road he was born to follow.
In 1989 Robby founded Native Children's Survival (NCS), a non-profit organization devoted to the healing of Mother Earth and all her children. Robby also formed a Native Rock band, Red Thunder , with roots deep in the heart of Indian Country. Following President Gorbachev's historic environmental message, at the 1990 Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders in Moscow, the organization and Robby's first music video project, “Is It Too Late”, was broadcast around the world from the Kremlin and earned Robby the title of United Nations Ambassador of Youth for the Environment.
Red Thunder debuted live from the Apache Territories of the Southwest as part of MTV's “Street Block Party” broadcast. Robby's music and likeness were featured on the TBS star-studded hit cartoon “Captain Planet”. Red Thunder made a special appearance on the PBS hit puppet show “Puzzle Place” that went on to become the most watched and requested episode of the series.
Crossing cultural boundaries Robby performed at the historic 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in South America, the Nuclear Free Forum in Austria, the World Forum on Racism in Australia, and the United Nations World Forum on Sustainable Development in South Africa sharing the stage with Jimmy Cliff, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, Arlo Guthrie and many more.
As part of MTV's “Free Your Mind” campaign, Robby created several stereotype breaking public service announcements, introducing contemporary Native Peoples to the music television generation. The campaign won the industry's prestigious Cable Ace Award. Robby was featured on VH1's Inside Music and he directed and scored a World Alert Special, “Makoce Wakan: Sacred Earth” that generated the highest viewer response than any other show on the network at that time.
In 1994, Robby launched Red Thunder's debut soundtrack to his VH1 World Alert Special, “Makoce Waken/Sacred Earth” exclusively in Indian Country, and with their single “Heartbeat” in rotation on MTV2, Red Thunder began their critically acclaimed Indian Country Tour.
They were invited on the H.O.R.D.E. Tour in 1995 and 1996, a Blues Traveler founded festival that came to define a genre of explosive live performances and intense fan loyalty . Robby & Red Thunder were featured on MTV's “Crossroads” and “H.O.R.D.E. Bootleg Special” along with Lenny Kravitz, Natalie Merchant, the Dave Matthews Band, and Rickie Lee Jones. They toured with blues legend Taj Mahal, Sheryl Crow, Ziggy Marley, and the Black Crows , and joined Blues Traveler for a Fall tour.
With laurels from critics and throngs of new fans, Red Thunder returned to Indian Country in 1997, rolling onto the Navajo Nation for the Annual Hodiits'a concert with Native post punk band, Blackfire, and punk rocker, Joey Ramone. They stormed the Pacific Northwest for the grand opening of Chief Leschi Schools and headed east for the Onondaga Nation Music festival.
In 1998, Robby shot and scored “Hidden Medicine”, an experimental film dealing with the mystical relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the environment. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival, screened at International Film Festivals around the world, and debuted on Sundance Channel in 1999. The soundtrack was released exclusively on Turtle Island and Red Thunder hit the road in 2000 from the Native territories of North America to the Aboriginal territories of Australia.
In 2002, Robby documented a musical journey through the homelands of the Gwich'in Nation in Alaska. “America's Last Frontier” premiered at the United Nations World Summit in South Africa, United Nations Switzerland, and at the United Nations Permanent Forum On Indigenous Issues in New York City in 2003 along with the exclusive CD release of the soundtrack in America's First Nations Territories.
In 2003, Robby created another set of Public Services Announcement called “r u 2 cool 2 care….”. The first in the series, “Save The Arctic Refuge” focused on protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from the mandate to drill oil. The campaign was launched nationally on music television and internationally on the world-wide-web.
As America prepared for it's 2004 Presidential Election, so did Indian Country. Native Nations launched a national “Get Out the Vote” campaign and Red Thunder hit the road on the “Rock The Rez Vote” Campaign Tour, targeting swing-states in Indian Country.
In 2005, Robby began work on the next series of “r u 2 cool 2 care….” Public Service Announcements. The first in this series entitled, “Stop Global Warming: Native Wind Powering America” had it's debut at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City September 16, 2005, with some of the world's most influential political and business leaders in attendance.
With rare performances outside of Indian Country interspersed throughout his career, from the Roxy Theater in Hollywood to Joe's Pub at the New York City Public Theater, Robby Romero continues to stand up and celebrate what he believes in. It is the reason he has been honored and supported around the world by Indigenous leaders, politicians, celebrities, fellow artists, friends and fans. Weaving the new into the old, it is just the beginning..
For
More Information on Robby, Pick a Year:
1990,
1991,
1992,
1993,
1994,
1995,
1996,
1997,
1998,
1999,
2000,
2001, 2002,
2003 , 2004 , 2005 |
