Sugar Chile Robinson

Biography

Frank Isaac Robinson, known professionally as Sugar Chile Robinson, was born on December 28, 1938, in Detroit, Michigan, as the youngest of seven children to Clarence and Elizabeth Robinson, neither of whom were musicians. Despite having no formal training, Robinson demonstrated extraordinary musical talent, teaching himself to play piano by ear at just two years old. By age three, he had already won a talent competition at Detroit's Paradise Theatre, competing primarily against teenagers. His precocious abilities caught the attention of bandleader Frankie Carle, who discovered him in 1945 and helped launch his meteoric career in the mid-1940s.

At the height of his childhood fame, Robinson became one of the first African American child stars to achieve national prominence. By age six, he was performing guest appearances with Lionel Hampton's band and the Frankie Carle Orchestra. In 1946, he made a cameo appearance in the Van Johnson film "No Leave, No Love," performing "Caldonia," and most notably, he performed for President Harry S. Truman at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in March 1946—becoming the first African American artist ever invited to perform at the annual event. During this performance, he improvised the catchphrase "How'm I doin', Mr. President?" which became nationally popular. Robinson's recording career began in 1949 with Capitol Records, where his first two releases, "Numbers Boogie" and "Caldonia," reached the Billboard R&B charts, with "Numbers Boogie" climbing to number four. At his peak, he was earning $10,000 per week and toured extensively, including performances with Count Basie in 1950 and an appearance at London's Palladium in 1951.

Despite his extraordinary success as a child performer, Robinson made the deliberate decision to prioritize education over entertainment. He stopped recording in 1952 at age thirteen and ended his active musical career by 1959, explaining that boogie-woogie was becoming outdated and he would need to adapt to jazz or rock styles. He returned to school, graduating from Northern High School at age fifteen, and went on to attend Olivet College in Michigan, earning a degree in psychology in 1960. Though he largely withdrew from the music industry, Robinson made occasional appearances in later years, including a special concert in 2002 celebrating Detroit music and a 2007 appearance at a British rock and roll festival. In 2016, President Barack Obama invited him back to the White House Correspondents' Dinner to commemorate seventy years since his historic first appearance, though by that time Robinson was facing significant health and financial challenges following a devastating house fire.

Fun Facts

• Robinson was nicknamed 'Sugar Chile' by his own mother and never received a single formal music lesson in his life, instead teaching himself piano by ear starting at age two.
• At the 1946 White House Correspondents' Dinner, Robinson improvised the catchphrase 'How'm I doin', Mr. President?' while performing 'Caldonia' for President Truman, and this spontaneous question became a nationwide popular catchphrase.
• Robinson earned an impressive $10,000 per week at the peak of his childhood fame in the late 1940s, setting box office records in Detroit and California theaters.
• In 2016, at age 77, Robinson was invited back to the White House Correspondents' Dinner by President Barack Obama to commemorate the 70th anniversary of his historic 1946 appearance as the first African American performer at the event, despite facing significant personal hardships at the time.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Frankie Carle - Big bandleader and pianist who discovered Robinson in 1945 and helped launch his professional career (Frankie Carle Orchestra performances and guest appearances) [1945-early 1950s]

Key Collaborators

• Lionel Hampton - Bandleader with whom Robinson performed guest shots and toured (Lionel Hampton's band performances) [1944-1950s]
• Count Basie - Bandleader Robinson toured and recorded with; appeared in 1950 short film together (1950 touring performances and 15-minute film 'Sugar Chile Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet') [1950]
• Billie Holiday - Jazz vocalist who appeared alongside Robinson in a short film (15-minute film with Count Basie's Sextet) [1950]
• Harry the Hipster Gibson - Eccentric pianist with whom Robinson performed a memorable duet (Duet on 'The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B') [1945]
• Gerry Mulligan - Jazz musician Robinson performed with on one occasion (Jazz performance collaboration) [1950s]
• Jimmy Richardson - Bassist who accompanied Robinson in Capitol Records sessions (June 1952 Capitol recording session including 'Go, Boy, Go') [1952]
• Red Saunders - Drummer who accompanied Robinson in Capitol Records sessions (June 1952 Capitol recording session including 'Go, Boy, Go' and boogie-woogie standards) [1952]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Number's Boogie (Boogie Woogie!)
2. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (Vooey Vooey Vay!)
3. Christmas Boogie (Vooey Vooey Vay!)
4. Go, Boy, Go (Boogie Woogie!)
5. Caledonia (What Makes Your Big Head So Hard) (Boogie Woogie!)
6. I'll Eat My Spinach (Vooey Vooey Vay!)
7. Christmas Boogie - Remastered 1990 (Christmas Kisses)
8. The Donkey Song (Vooey Vooey Vay!)
9. Caldonia (07-28-49) (Classics: 1949-1952)
10. After School Blues (Vooey Vooey Vay!)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #boogie-woogie, #jump-blues, #piano-blues