May 9, 2025 • 29 mins
Join @thebuzzknight as he strolls down memory lane with Robin Lloyd, a talented musician and entertainer who was part of the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars. Robin shares captivating stories from this golden age of music and his friendship with Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, James Brown and so many more. Robin has a new book called "A Believer's Perspective" and we hope you'll enjoy this colorful conversation.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
But I'll tell you one thing about Jason Brown. He
was instrumental in the way I dressed. He said to me, well,
you look good, but you dressed like a mortician. I
will black nor suit with a white shirt and black
to the head and form he says, which is some
peaks and some greens and wait on it? What because
(00:21):
fifty percent is what you look like when you hit
that stage, you know? And he was right.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast, where your host
Buzz Knight speaks with musicians and insiders who've been part
of making music history. On this episode, a man who
was friends with Marvin Gang, the Supremes, James Brown, Itken,
Tina Turner, and so many more. His name is Robin
Mohite and he was known as Round Robin. He was
(00:48):
part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars, which traveled the
country playing shows in conjunction with Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
Robin's a colorful storyteller. His new book's called A Believer's Perspective,
highlights his deeply spiritual journey. Here's Pusnight with Robin Lloyd
on the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Robin Lloyd welcome, sir to the Take of a Walk podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oh, thank you, it's good. Good to take this little
walk with you.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
All right.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, since it's called taken a walk, Robin, I want
to ask you if you could take a walk with
somebody living or dead, who would you take a walk
with and where do you think you'd take a walk
with that person.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I'd probably take a walk with a good friend of mine,
But I don't know if you know HB. Bornum. HB.
Bornhum was we've known each other for about sixty two years,
and he was Aretha Franklin's conductor and ranging for a
number of years. But he also he did a lot
of arranging for a lot of people. But we've remained
friends and we spend a lot of time together. It
(01:57):
would be HB.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Bornum and somewhere out in the LA area maybe.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah. He lives in Woodland Hills. Moved. He moved from
Mowholland after being there for sixty years and fighting moved.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And HB has had some fairly notorious in a good
way work in his career, hasn't he.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Oh yeah, he's arranged for Barry White, who when I
went to school with and we're you know, from h
fourteen till they passed HB born on Al Wilson. He's
arranged for the Four Tops, which Holland, OJI and Holland.
I don't know people know, but Brian Holland now moved
from Vegas and he lives here in Texas and we
(02:40):
we we you know, we get together every now and
then and he's arranged for them a number of people.
Lou Rawls, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Sure, Oh my god, all legends, all legends. Well, we're
going to talk about your new book, A Believer's Perspective
in a little bit, but I wanted you to take
us back first of all, Well, what was the first
moment you remember in your life that deeply connected you
with music and that kind of told you you were
(03:11):
going to lead a life that was heavily involved with music.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Well, for me, I would imagine it was probably when
I was nine years old. We lived in Los Angeles
all my life, and it takes a book The Guitar Player,
for believe it or not, Ray Charles. We went at
the house at forty second Place in Long Beach Boulevard,
(03:37):
and he lived in the little house and I said, Mom,
why do we live in the big house and he
lives well, he traveled a lot, but he needed somebody
to watch, and so we lived there and I would
always when they come off the road. And at that
time I had no idea who Ray Charlso they just
knew this band and it struck me and I wanted
(04:00):
to be I want to be at the band. First.
I wanted to play a guitar and piano and whatever.
But it goes back to then, but I was always
around musicians for some reason. You know, Lowell Fulson was
a blues player. It was just always around a lot
of musicians and that that and it's party like in
the fifties. It was probably like being in New York
(04:26):
with I have friends of like Little Anthony, the Imperials.
You know, we still he lives in Florida, and you know,
Clarence lives in Vegas and we get together every now
and then. But we just kids, you know, have always
We didn't even think anything about it. We was just
having fun and that's it, you know. No, there's no
magical formula to it. It was just that's what I
(04:49):
wanted to be a musician.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So there was never probably I'm guessing a plan B
in your career. It was always going to be there
was Plan A or nothing.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Well, plan Plan B was. I have a business law
degree and I went to college. I got man Associates
of Arts degree in business law, and music was my minor.
I made my first recording when I was fourteen, and
it's on YouTube now. It's called Teenagers Lettle by George
(05:23):
and Gene. But I had a manager, Chili Berger, who
was the manager for Scanduri and Shane, and they had
each manager was assigned to five different people. My manager
was Cherlie Berger who me and you may not know,
but he left Scandur and Sharing to manage one group,
(05:43):
the Temptations, and didn't wanted to take me with him.
And I said, well, no, that's a that's a soul group.
I'm a pop artist that was with Caravender stars Nick
Clark at that particular time. But we were mary friends also.
But he used to tell me, he says, do you
want to be a record artist or an entertainer? I said,
I want to make hit the records and he said,
(06:06):
I can't use you. I said why and he said,
because a record artist is only as big as as
last record, but an entertainer will take one record and
work all the time. And that is what gave me
my plan B of I have to make this a business,
and it was a business. Then I think I think
(06:29):
Chili Berger for that and HB born them those two people.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
So what led you to this amazing part of your
journey the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars? First of all,
tell everybody what the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars was
and how you got to it.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Well, most people don't realize, but you Yeah, it's a
lot of hits out there on YouTube, but the Caravan
of Stars were everybody that you saw that appeared on
American Man's stand. The reason that we came into your
home every week. He got this great idea, like you
or you know, bringing everybody together and talk to this conversation.
(07:10):
He said, if I can bring these artists into your
home every day, I can bring him into your town.
And we had a winter tour, a summer tour, and
the fall tour, and he would get together where it
was three tours. One would be chriss Cross, one would
go because different artists had different hit songs in different
(07:31):
parts of the town. You know I too, And the
most popular one was the summer tour, which I did,
and that's how we got That's how we did that.
But there was people like I travel with Daniel Rawson,
the Supremes, Jean Pitney, Freddie Cannon, Major Lance, who is
(07:54):
a daughter is Keisha Lance, who's the mayor of Atlanta,
Georgia at this particular time. Different people, the Charelles, the Coasters,
the Drifters, Little Anthony Imperials, Brenda Holloway. So these are
people that I trouble with. And it's at ninety day,
one nighters, one night is you got one day off
(08:15):
and you appeared like for instance, that we appeared in
Pittsburgh at the Syria Mosque. The next night we'd be
in William, West Virginia, and we'd trouble there and we'd
come back and spend the night in Pittsburgh, and then
we'd travel on to the next place, which would be
somewhere in Washington, b c. You know, but it was
(08:38):
it was fantastic. We would travel Tom Jones is a
bunch of us, and then we would meet the three
tours would meet for one big show in Montreal with
Beale Shannon and it was the crystals you you name them,
(08:59):
and it was like thirty seven acts. And if you
ever get a poster, my daughter who is now a
voice actress for Disney Miller Lady, she's the voice of
Ticket and the Records ladybook. She got a hold of
this poster and we were appearing and you could see
eighteen acts and only eighteen X was the Chirrell's, the Coasters,
(09:22):
Jean Pitney, Brian Hyland, you know, you name it. It was
Brenda Holloway. Two dollars and fifty CITs pre sale, three
dollars at the door.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Unbelievable. Wow. Look now, Robin, how many songs would each
act do? Did it depend on who the act was?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I got to do three songs.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And for instance Lynn Anthony Imperials they got to do four,
you know, and different than but the like for instance
the Crystals they did two songs. The Shurrell's got to
do three songs. So it was that way, you know,
Britain Holloway did two. The show lasted, I mean we
(10:11):
hit the Allentown the County Fair in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and
you know, and you know, the show started at eight.
The last act left at eleven o'clock.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
You know, must have been a production nightmare for the
people putting it together.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
To keep it flowing, we had a band, you know,
you brought your music. The band was Jimmy Ford. Excellent musicians,
you know, young musicians at that time. But they in
turn did whatever they did. When I wasn't on tour
with the Dick Clark caravan, I was on tour with
James Brown when he that's what he did, pick up
(10:48):
different artists the same formula. I was, you know, West
Coast artists, and I did twelve or fourteen days with
Patty Leabelle at that time they were called Patty the
Bell and the Bluebells. But again it was just fun,
but it was our job.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yes, My journey was when I realized that I was
just doing it for the money. It was no longer fun.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah, which took you on another part of the journey,
which we're going to talk about. I just want to
touch a little bit more on a couple of aspects
of the Caravan of Stars, but I want to touch on.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Working with James Brown.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Were you ever fined by James Brown for not you know,
playing the notes right or whatever.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
No, I wasn't part of his bed Now his band was,
but I was an act. When he'd pick up certain
acts like we had Bobby Freeman, we had the fifty Mention,
we had myself and I did three songs. But I'll
tell you one thing about Jayson Brown. He was instrumental
in the way I dressed. He said to me, well,
(12:00):
you look good, but you dressed like a mortician. I
will black more suit with a white shirt and black amplement.
He says, put you some peaks and some greens and
wear on the whatcuse is what you look like when
you hit that stage, you know? And he was right.
I started dressing with colors, and he was you know,
(12:24):
you always hear certain things, you know, but he was
really instrumentally helping certain people.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
They all other thing, you know. I traveled with I
Cantina Turner, I've opened up for the Righteous Brothers, you know,
Diane Carroll at the Playboy Club, and so we always
I was an intervener, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Yes, yes, So back to the caravan again.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
So talk about your experiences in the caravan with with
Marvin gay.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Well, I'll tell you Marvin Gaye was a He was
a gentleman. I mean, he had his cooks, but he
was always shy.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
We didn't want tour with him. But in Marmon Gaye
was after and I said, you know, you know, people
want to hear certain things, but that Marvin Gaye that
I know would not be the Marvin Gaye that you
wouldn't know, you know. I mean we would sit down
and and and eat certain places and do certain things.
(13:32):
But it was just a bunch of us kids who
were kids, you know. So what I knew of him
was different from what everybody else would know.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Then after the tour he became something else. You know,
that Marvin Gaye I didn't know, you know, I didn't
know the James Brown. I knew that James Brown from
the sixties and fifties, and but I didn't know that
James Brown from the seventies. Change. It's just as I've
changed the round robin, you know, from American man stand.
(14:06):
I transitioned into writing a book. You know. I never
drank or smoke, and somebody said why not. I said,
I was just too cheap. I couldn't spend my money.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a
Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
And then Ike and Tina Turner was such an unbelievable performers.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Certainly.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Did you get a sense though, of the complexity of
their relationship while you were out with them.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Yeah. They lived in Baldwin Hills and my my apartment
was in bald When Hills, So I was really close
to like a lot, you know, and Tin and so
we rehearsed a lot and we did shows together. There
was a club, a big, big, the chain of clubs
called the Cinnamon Cinder Clubs which we all played. They
was sort of like the Whisky of Go Go, you know.
(15:06):
There were a bunch of whiskey goes across the country,
playboy clubs, and so that circle of that cycle we
all played either together or were criss crossing. But I
Cantina Turner was really the complexity that he was really
strict on his musician. You think James Brown was strict,
I Turner was really strict. You know. He wouldn't find
(15:29):
you, you just get rid of you. And people say, well,
I don't think he likes me, oh said Ike said, Oh,
he likes you, he just doesn't like you playing.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Yeah, unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
And did you have a sense of seeing Diana Ross
and the Supremes at that moment of how big an
act they would ultimately become.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Really knowing that because at the time they were the
and if you look at a poster, their name was
on the bottom. Thirty days later they were on the top.
That baby baby we used to sing on the bus,
no hits, no hits. When we go on to get
none and that became number one and we were eating froll,
(16:20):
you know.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Oh man.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
But I stayed friends with Mary Wilson until she passed away.
You know, we talked once a week. My wife was
friends with her at HB and all of us, so
we talked until she passed away, you know.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
But so, yeah, you got this this yearning.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
You were very successful, but there was something that wasn't
just right in your life, which was that pivotal moment
that sort of led to your next chapter. Can you
can you talk about that move and the feelings behind
that move?
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yeah? And I had to sound cliche, but you know,
I had a successful career and entertaining making money, but
something was missing. It just it just wasn't there. I
was working for money and I just at that particular time,
somebody said to me, either you work for money or
(17:19):
you make money work for you. And I had nothing
going other than just nothing, and I went to church.
You know, my family always went to church, but I
stopped and went to church one day and it's something said,
something is missing. And I started writing little things. But
(17:41):
basically that's what happened to me. Something was missing. You know,
you can have everything. It's like, you know, money can
buy you a house, but it can't buy your home.
You know it can buy you companion, but it can't
buy you love. These things like money came buy your love.
When I started to think that. My book that I wrote,
(18:02):
it's called a Believer's Perspective, and it's a different perspective,
but it's it's different now I look at things. But
it's how the spirit of my religious beliefs talked to me.
And he said, you know, you can't take any of
this with you, and I started to I went to
Vegas one weekend and I went to church with laughing
(18:26):
and the Colin and Clara scholars to their church, and
I said they were at church. And then when I
saw hb. He was playing keyboards when he wasn't on
the road to wait for church, and I saw Brenda
Holloway and these people are always going to church and
they were happy, and I said, I want some of that.
You know. Little things like that slowly changed me. But
(18:47):
I never smoke a drink and I didn't go to clubs.
When I was not on the road, I was at home.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
You know.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
So you started writing down these these wonderful, simple, beautiful
revelations and observations, all based around your spirit and the
spirit of God. And ultimately I think you said, I
got to put this out to the world.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
Some more can can read it. Is that right? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I did. But I met a young a young man
that tests a young man because he's he's younger than me.
But Paul Lambert and Paul Lambert, I would we weekly
to have it like you have your talk. I have
a weekly uh blog that I write. And he said, man,
this is really fantastic. It's a different idea. For instance,
(19:43):
like I tell people your Christian character will always speak
loud in the words. You know. I just did little
things that I would say, you know, little things. As
a believer, we are called to walk, you know. You know,
like this, it's what you do, it's not what you say.
You have most people say, oh, I'm a Christian or
(20:04):
I believe in the Lord. Well, if you do those things,
you don't have to say. And I just wrote little things,
but Paul said, let's write this down, and we did,
and we put the book out that it's doing quite
well a believer's perspective. It's on Amazon dot Com or
even downloaded on Kindle books, but it's doing good. As
a matter of fact, we're going to be doing the
(20:25):
second book next year. And it's an easy read. It's
not three hundred pages, it's not the Bible hords, different chapters.
It's an easy read. You can read it in a
couple of days. But what happens. And I have a
pastor Tyrone here in the Dallas area in Plano, Texas.
He bought twenty five books and they have what they
(20:47):
call a Christian Bingo night and they give out the books.
And I did a book signing and another pastor of
Mount Olive and they use different things that I say,
you know, they said this, like, for instance, I realized
that do you realize there's two days in a year
that you can never do anything about? You know what?
(21:07):
That is? No yesterday and tomorrow. You can only do
something about today. Little things, little things like that are
in there, you know, And it's just it doesn't beat
you down by saying thee thou one and what you do.
It's just it's just a little humorous things.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
What role did this serious car accident that you had
put in put into this that that was a prospective builder,
wasn't it.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
I had a.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Real bad accident and I was on my way to
the Kentucky Derby to the racetrag and when I woke up,
I couldn't talk. That was on life support. They gave
me twenty four hours, sort of like Jesus saying, hey Chunky, hey,
fat boy. Didn't hear me?
Speaker 4 (21:55):
Now?
Speaker 2 (21:57):
You know you're going too fast, you know. And as
I was there, just little things, I'd start to write
little notes of things which come to me, all kinds
of things. I wrote a thing called Welcome to Flight
twenty twenty four and it starts off, Welcome to a
flight twenty twenty four where your captain is the Great
I am, co pilot is Jesus, the flight crew is
(22:19):
the Holy Spirit, and you're be serving by the angels
of mercy. Please to make sure that your attitudes and
blessings are secured and locked, the weight in an upright position.
All self destructive and doubt devices should be turned off
and put away. There's no baggage on this plane. Should
you lose altitude under pressure, reach up and pull down
(22:42):
a prayer. You know, prayers will automatically be activated by faith.
Once your faith is activated, you can help other passengers.
So if there will be no baggage allowed on this fight,
I got the captain's clearers for take off. Our destination
is greatness and beyond. Feel free to share this like
twenty twenty four, you know, do little things like that.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
You know, Oh, that's wonderful. Wow.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
So, as if your life was was not interesting enough
with the various parts of the journey the Dick Clark
Caravan of Stars, ultimately your move and your your writings,
there became this point in your life where you became
(23:29):
a builder. Yes, and and then there's another astounding part
of it I'll ask you about. But first of all,
talk about your move into being a builder.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Well, I want a company here in the Metroplexus called
k Rose CONSTRUCTIONIG, which is we do we develop and
build leuxtury your own customer homes and been doing that
for the last four forty plus years. I got into
business when I got married. I wanted to build a house,
(24:06):
and the guy that was building a home I asked
him and said, Sue, how do you do this? And
he said, well, you just hired this person and that person.
He says, can you put a jigsaw puscle together? I go, well, yeah,
he says, sort of like a puscle. A builder doesn't
use hammer nails. He just knows the people to call.
And I go, I can do that. And I built
(24:29):
my home and I realized that he had more time,
more time, more time, and I started the company and
it is still I was the first minority to be
on the cover of a Builder's architect magazine in nineteen
(24:52):
ninety five. They had been in existence for sixty three years,
and I've been on the cover three times in the
last forty years. But in the meantime, you know, I
went back to you know, there's the company run this one.
I wanted to go back to music. But and then
when that wreck happened to me something to say, hey,
(25:12):
you've got to start living giving and you can't be here,
be there. You know, you weren't born with eight arms
just two legs. Since that accident, I've concentrated on writing
once a week in this book, which makes me happy.
So it's like somebody has a hobby. I got a
happy hobby. It's writing these Christian little antecedents, you know,
(25:37):
and then the company runs, you know, is working. But
that's that's basically what has happened to me with that
the home building business.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
You know, it must have made you incredibly proud being
the first minority builder to be you know, featured on
the on the cover of Architecture magazine.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
What what a what an amazing, amazing out come?
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Well yeah, also, yeah, I tell you what. As I
was doing that, I have met people that tell people,
you know, I got this home that was built by
round Robin, you know, And I said, no, I want
you to buy a home because it's a good home,
not because it's you know, and it's amazing. But the
thing of being the first it was being recognized because
(26:25):
there was good a good builder.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I don't look at it as like the first minority
even though people say that I wanted to be the
good builder. I was recognized as being good as I
was a good enter trainer as I was a good person,
and it says you're a good builder, you know. And
I build this home and my motto is I don't
build a house. I build a home is the I
(26:52):
was going to live in it. That's how I build it.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Amazing Well, Robin in closing, is there one lesson that
you could pass on that at eighty one years old
still keeps you passionate, happy, energized?
Speaker 4 (27:13):
What's the key to that?
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Here? Again, I found out that God has a purpose
and a passion and a plan for everybody. Sometimes we
are selective in listening and we have a me mentality.
Once you get rid of that me mentality and realize,
(27:38):
like you and I are talking, Yeah, you're not talking
to a minority. It were just two people talking and
we have we have something in common. And that is
the basic of being happy, is finding that common thread
that will sew you together. You know, I have my
(28:00):
book The Believer's Perspective. Meeting Paul and even talking to you,
you know, buzz I know that I'm going to see
you getting talk to you again, you know, with us
on this show or not, you know, But that's the
common thread of finding your purpose and your purpose is
not to go out and how much money you can
make and politics yourself sort of like I've never heard
(28:22):
so many people Democrats, Republicans, Da da da da. It's
how about just America? How about this is the president
of the United States? How about buzz and I have
two guys talking.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Robin Lloyd, thank you for being on taking a walk,
for passing on your wisdom, sharing your story and continuing
to inspire us.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
For what you do every day.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
It's really amazing and I know we'll meet again.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Well, thank you for just you say, come on and
take a walk with me. Because as I was talking
to you, a lot of these things I had forgotten.
You just pack them away and you just like you know,
you like an old trunk will close, you open up,
you go, oh, yeah, I remember when I wore that suit,
and talking to you is making me unpack some things
(29:16):
and said, yeah I remember that.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Yeah, that's the greatest compliment anyone could pay me.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Thank you so much, Robin. It's a joy. You're a treasure.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Tell us somebody to go out and get this book
A believer's perspective. I'm gonna hug thatll On Amazon dot com.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Go get it. A believer's perspective. Thank you, Robin, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Taking a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
But I'll tell you one thing about Jason Brown. He
was instrumental in the way I dressed. He said to me, well,
you look good, but you dressed like a mortician. I
will black nor suit with a white shirt and black
to the head and form he says, which is some
peaks and some greens and wait on it? What because
(00:21):
fifty percent is what you look like when you hit
that stage, you know? And he was right.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast, where your host
Buzz Knight speaks with musicians and insiders who've been part
of making music history. On this episode, a man who
was friends with Marvin Gang, the Supremes, James Brown, Itken,
Tina Turner, and so many more. His name is Robin
Mohite and he was known as Round Robin. He was
(00:48):
part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars, which traveled the
country playing shows in conjunction with Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
Robin's a colorful storyteller. His new book's called A Believer's Perspective,
highlights his deeply spiritual journey. Here's Pusnight with Robin Lloyd
on the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Robin Lloyd welcome, sir to the Take of a Walk podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oh, thank you, it's good. Good to take this little
walk with you.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
All right.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Well, since it's called taken a walk, Robin, I want
to ask you if you could take a walk with
somebody living or dead, who would you take a walk
with and where do you think you'd take a walk
with that person.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
I'd probably take a walk with a good friend of mine,
But I don't know if you know HB. Bornum. HB.
Bornhum was we've known each other for about sixty two years,
and he was Aretha Franklin's conductor and ranging for a
number of years. But he also he did a lot
of arranging for a lot of people. But we've remained
friends and we spend a lot of time together. It
(01:57):
would be HB.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Bornum and somewhere out in the LA area maybe.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah. He lives in Woodland Hills. Moved. He moved from
Mowholland after being there for sixty years and fighting moved.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
And HB has had some fairly notorious in a good
way work in his career, hasn't he.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Oh yeah, he's arranged for Barry White, who when I
went to school with and we're you know, from h
fourteen till they passed HB born on Al Wilson. He's
arranged for the Four Tops, which Holland, OJI and Holland.
I don't know people know, but Brian Holland now moved
from Vegas and he lives here in Texas and we
(02:40):
we we you know, we get together every now and
then and he's arranged for them a number of people.
Lou Rawls, you know.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Sure, Oh my god, all legends, all legends. Well, we're
going to talk about your new book, A Believer's Perspective
in a little bit, but I wanted you to take
us back first of all, Well, what was the first
moment you remember in your life that deeply connected you
with music and that kind of told you you were
(03:11):
going to lead a life that was heavily involved with music.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Well, for me, I would imagine it was probably when
I was nine years old. We lived in Los Angeles
all my life, and it takes a book The Guitar Player,
for believe it or not, Ray Charles. We went at
the house at forty second Place in Long Beach Boulevard,
(03:37):
and he lived in the little house and I said, Mom,
why do we live in the big house and he
lives well, he traveled a lot, but he needed somebody
to watch, and so we lived there and I would
always when they come off the road. And at that
time I had no idea who Ray Charlso they just
knew this band and it struck me and I wanted
(04:00):
to be I want to be at the band. First.
I wanted to play a guitar and piano and whatever.
But it goes back to then, but I was always
around musicians for some reason. You know, Lowell Fulson was
a blues player. It was just always around a lot
of musicians and that that and it's party like in
the fifties. It was probably like being in New York
(04:26):
with I have friends of like Little Anthony, the Imperials.
You know, we still he lives in Florida, and you know,
Clarence lives in Vegas and we get together every now
and then. But we just kids, you know, have always
We didn't even think anything about it. We was just
having fun and that's it, you know. No, there's no
magical formula to it. It was just that's what I
(04:49):
wanted to be a musician.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
So there was never probably I'm guessing a plan B
in your career. It was always going to be there
was Plan A or nothing.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Well, plan Plan B was. I have a business law
degree and I went to college. I got man Associates
of Arts degree in business law, and music was my minor.
I made my first recording when I was fourteen, and
it's on YouTube now. It's called Teenagers Lettle by George
(05:23):
and Gene. But I had a manager, Chili Berger, who
was the manager for Scanduri and Shane, and they had
each manager was assigned to five different people. My manager
was Cherlie Berger who me and you may not know,
but he left Scandur and Sharing to manage one group,
(05:43):
the Temptations, and didn't wanted to take me with him.
And I said, well, no, that's a that's a soul group.
I'm a pop artist that was with Caravender stars Nick
Clark at that particular time. But we were mary friends also.
But he used to tell me, he says, do you
want to be a record artist or an entertainer? I said,
I want to make hit the records and he said,
(06:06):
I can't use you. I said why and he said,
because a record artist is only as big as as
last record, but an entertainer will take one record and
work all the time. And that is what gave me
my plan B of I have to make this a business,
and it was a business. Then I think I think
(06:29):
Chili Berger for that and HB born them those two people.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
So what led you to this amazing part of your
journey the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars? First of all,
tell everybody what the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars was
and how you got to it.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Well, most people don't realize, but you Yeah, it's a
lot of hits out there on YouTube, but the Caravan
of Stars were everybody that you saw that appeared on
American Man's stand. The reason that we came into your
home every week. He got this great idea, like you
or you know, bringing everybody together and talk to this conversation.
(07:10):
He said, if I can bring these artists into your
home every day, I can bring him into your town.
And we had a winter tour, a summer tour, and
the fall tour, and he would get together where it
was three tours. One would be chriss Cross, one would
go because different artists had different hit songs in different
(07:31):
parts of the town. You know I too, And the
most popular one was the summer tour, which I did,
and that's how we got That's how we did that.
But there was people like I travel with Daniel Rawson,
the Supremes, Jean Pitney, Freddie Cannon, Major Lance, who is
(07:54):
a daughter is Keisha Lance, who's the mayor of Atlanta,
Georgia at this particular time. Different people, the Charelles, the Coasters,
the Drifters, Little Anthony Imperials, Brenda Holloway. So these are
people that I trouble with. And it's at ninety day,
one nighters, one night is you got one day off
(08:15):
and you appeared like for instance, that we appeared in
Pittsburgh at the Syria Mosque. The next night we'd be
in William, West Virginia, and we'd trouble there and we'd
come back and spend the night in Pittsburgh, and then
we'd travel on to the next place, which would be
somewhere in Washington, b c. You know, but it was
(08:38):
it was fantastic. We would travel Tom Jones is a
bunch of us, and then we would meet the three
tours would meet for one big show in Montreal with
Beale Shannon and it was the crystals you you name them,
(08:59):
and it was like thirty seven acts. And if you
ever get a poster, my daughter who is now a
voice actress for Disney Miller Lady, she's the voice of
Ticket and the Records ladybook. She got a hold of
this poster and we were appearing and you could see
eighteen acts and only eighteen X was the Chirrell's, the Coasters,
(09:22):
Jean Pitney, Brian Hyland, you know, you name it. It was
Brenda Holloway. Two dollars and fifty CITs pre sale, three
dollars at the door.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Unbelievable. Wow. Look now, Robin, how many songs would each
act do? Did it depend on who the act was?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I got to do three songs.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And for instance Lynn Anthony Imperials they got to do four,
you know, and different than but the like for instance
the Crystals they did two songs. The Shurrell's got to
do three songs. So it was that way, you know,
Britain Holloway did two. The show lasted, I mean we
(10:11):
hit the Allentown the County Fair in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and
you know, and you know, the show started at eight.
The last act left at eleven o'clock.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
You know, must have been a production nightmare for the
people putting it together.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
To keep it flowing, we had a band, you know,
you brought your music. The band was Jimmy Ford. Excellent musicians,
you know, young musicians at that time. But they in
turn did whatever they did. When I wasn't on tour
with the Dick Clark caravan, I was on tour with
James Brown when he that's what he did, pick up
(10:48):
different artists the same formula. I was, you know, West
Coast artists, and I did twelve or fourteen days with
Patty Leabelle at that time they were called Patty the
Bell and the Bluebells. But again it was just fun,
but it was our job.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Yes, My journey was when I realized that I was
just doing it for the money. It was no longer fun.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah, which took you on another part of the journey,
which we're going to talk about. I just want to
touch a little bit more on a couple of aspects
of the Caravan of Stars, but I want to touch on.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Working with James Brown.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Were you ever fined by James Brown for not you know,
playing the notes right or whatever.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
No, I wasn't part of his bed Now his band was,
but I was an act. When he'd pick up certain
acts like we had Bobby Freeman, we had the fifty Mention,
we had myself and I did three songs. But I'll
tell you one thing about Jayson Brown. He was instrumental
in the way I dressed. He said to me, well,
(12:00):
you look good, but you dressed like a mortician. I
will black more suit with a white shirt and black amplement.
He says, put you some peaks and some greens and
wear on the whatcuse is what you look like when
you hit that stage, you know? And he was right.
I started dressing with colors, and he was you know,
(12:24):
you always hear certain things, you know, but he was
really instrumentally helping certain people.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
You know.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
They all other thing, you know. I traveled with I
Cantina Turner, I've opened up for the Righteous Brothers, you know,
Diane Carroll at the Playboy Club, and so we always
I was an intervener, you know.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Yes, yes, So back to the caravan again.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
So talk about your experiences in the caravan with with
Marvin gay.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Well, I'll tell you Marvin Gaye was a He was
a gentleman. I mean, he had his cooks, but he
was always shy.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
We didn't want tour with him. But in Marmon Gaye
was after and I said, you know, you know, people
want to hear certain things, but that Marvin Gaye that
I know would not be the Marvin Gaye that you
wouldn't know, you know. I mean we would sit down
and and and eat certain places and do certain things.
(13:32):
But it was just a bunch of us kids who
were kids, you know. So what I knew of him
was different from what everybody else would know.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
You know.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Then after the tour he became something else. You know,
that Marvin Gaye I didn't know, you know, I didn't
know the James Brown. I knew that James Brown from
the sixties and fifties, and but I didn't know that
James Brown from the seventies. Change. It's just as I've
changed the round robin, you know, from American man stand.
(14:06):
I transitioned into writing a book. You know. I never
drank or smoke, and somebody said why not. I said,
I was just too cheap. I couldn't spend my money.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a
Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
And then Ike and Tina Turner was such an unbelievable performers.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Certainly.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Did you get a sense though, of the complexity of
their relationship while you were out with them.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Yeah. They lived in Baldwin Hills and my my apartment
was in bald When Hills, So I was really close
to like a lot, you know, and Tin and so
we rehearsed a lot and we did shows together. There
was a club, a big, big, the chain of clubs
called the Cinnamon Cinder Clubs which we all played. They
was sort of like the Whisky of Go Go, you know.
(15:06):
There were a bunch of whiskey goes across the country,
playboy clubs, and so that circle of that cycle we
all played either together or were criss crossing. But I
Cantina Turner was really the complexity that he was really
strict on his musician. You think James Brown was strict,
I Turner was really strict. You know. He wouldn't find
(15:29):
you, you just get rid of you. And people say, well,
I don't think he likes me, oh said Ike said, Oh,
he likes you, he just doesn't like you playing.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Yeah, unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
And did you have a sense of seeing Diana Ross
and the Supremes at that moment of how big an
act they would ultimately become.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Really knowing that because at the time they were the
and if you look at a poster, their name was
on the bottom. Thirty days later they were on the top.
That baby baby we used to sing on the bus,
no hits, no hits. When we go on to get
none and that became number one and we were eating froll,
(16:20):
you know.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Oh man.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
But I stayed friends with Mary Wilson until she passed away.
You know, we talked once a week. My wife was
friends with her at HB and all of us, so
we talked until she passed away, you know.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
But so, yeah, you got this this yearning.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
You were very successful, but there was something that wasn't
just right in your life, which was that pivotal moment
that sort of led to your next chapter. Can you
can you talk about that move and the feelings behind
that move?
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Yeah? And I had to sound cliche, but you know,
I had a successful career and entertaining making money, but
something was missing. It just it just wasn't there. I
was working for money and I just at that particular time,
somebody said to me, either you work for money or
(17:19):
you make money work for you. And I had nothing
going other than just nothing, and I went to church.
You know, my family always went to church, but I
stopped and went to church one day and it's something said,
something is missing. And I started writing little things. But
(17:41):
basically that's what happened to me. Something was missing. You know,
you can have everything. It's like, you know, money can
buy you a house, but it can't buy your home.
You know it can buy you companion, but it can't
buy you love. These things like money came buy your love.
When I started to think that. My book that I wrote,
(18:02):
it's called a Believer's Perspective, and it's a different perspective,
but it's it's different now I look at things. But
it's how the spirit of my religious beliefs talked to me.
And he said, you know, you can't take any of
this with you, and I started to I went to
Vegas one weekend and I went to church with laughing
(18:26):
and the Colin and Clara scholars to their church, and
I said they were at church. And then when I
saw hb. He was playing keyboards when he wasn't on
the road to wait for church, and I saw Brenda
Holloway and these people are always going to church and
they were happy, and I said, I want some of that.
You know. Little things like that slowly changed me. But
(18:47):
I never smoke a drink and I didn't go to clubs.
When I was not on the road, I was at home.
Speaker 4 (18:55):
You know.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
So you started writing down these these wonderful, simple, beautiful
revelations and observations, all based around your spirit and the
spirit of God. And ultimately I think you said, I
got to put this out to the world.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
Some more can can read it. Is that right? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:21):
I did. But I met a young a young man
that tests a young man because he's he's younger than me.
But Paul Lambert and Paul Lambert, I would we weekly
to have it like you have your talk. I have
a weekly uh blog that I write. And he said, man,
this is really fantastic. It's a different idea. For instance,
(19:43):
like I tell people your Christian character will always speak
loud in the words. You know. I just did little
things that I would say, you know, little things. As
a believer, we are called to walk, you know. You know,
like this, it's what you do, it's not what you say.
You have most people say, oh, I'm a Christian or
(20:04):
I believe in the Lord. Well, if you do those things,
you don't have to say. And I just wrote little things,
but Paul said, let's write this down, and we did,
and we put the book out that it's doing quite
well a believer's perspective. It's on Amazon dot Com or
even downloaded on Kindle books, but it's doing good. As
a matter of fact, we're going to be doing the
(20:25):
second book next year. And it's an easy read. It's
not three hundred pages, it's not the Bible hords, different chapters.
It's an easy read. You can read it in a
couple of days. But what happens. And I have a
pastor Tyrone here in the Dallas area in Plano, Texas.
He bought twenty five books and they have what they
(20:47):
call a Christian Bingo night and they give out the books.
And I did a book signing and another pastor of
Mount Olive and they use different things that I say,
you know, they said this, like, for instance, I realized
that do you realize there's two days in a year
that you can never do anything about? You know what?
(21:07):
That is? No yesterday and tomorrow. You can only do
something about today. Little things, little things like that are
in there, you know, And it's just it doesn't beat
you down by saying thee thou one and what you do.
It's just it's just a little humorous things.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
You know.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
What role did this serious car accident that you had
put in put into this that that was a prospective builder,
wasn't it.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
I had a.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Real bad accident and I was on my way to
the Kentucky Derby to the racetrag and when I woke up,
I couldn't talk. That was on life support. They gave
me twenty four hours, sort of like Jesus saying, hey Chunky, hey,
fat boy. Didn't hear me?
Speaker 4 (21:55):
Now?
Speaker 2 (21:57):
You know you're going too fast, you know. And as
I was there, just little things, I'd start to write
little notes of things which come to me, all kinds
of things. I wrote a thing called Welcome to Flight
twenty twenty four and it starts off, Welcome to a
flight twenty twenty four where your captain is the Great
I am, co pilot is Jesus, the flight crew is
(22:19):
the Holy Spirit, and you're be serving by the angels
of mercy. Please to make sure that your attitudes and
blessings are secured and locked, the weight in an upright position.
All self destructive and doubt devices should be turned off
and put away. There's no baggage on this plane. Should
you lose altitude under pressure, reach up and pull down
(22:42):
a prayer. You know, prayers will automatically be activated by faith.
Once your faith is activated, you can help other passengers.
So if there will be no baggage allowed on this fight,
I got the captain's clearers for take off. Our destination
is greatness and beyond. Feel free to share this like
twenty twenty four, you know, do little things like that.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
You know, Oh, that's wonderful. Wow.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
So, as if your life was was not interesting enough
with the various parts of the journey the Dick Clark
Caravan of Stars, ultimately your move and your your writings,
there became this point in your life where you became
(23:29):
a builder. Yes, and and then there's another astounding part
of it I'll ask you about. But first of all,
talk about your move into being a builder.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Well, I want a company here in the Metroplexus called
k Rose CONSTRUCTIONIG, which is we do we develop and
build leuxtury your own customer homes and been doing that
for the last four forty plus years. I got into
business when I got married. I wanted to build a house,
(24:06):
and the guy that was building a home I asked
him and said, Sue, how do you do this? And
he said, well, you just hired this person and that person.
He says, can you put a jigsaw puscle together? I go, well, yeah,
he says, sort of like a puscle. A builder doesn't
use hammer nails. He just knows the people to call.
And I go, I can do that. And I built
(24:29):
my home and I realized that he had more time,
more time, more time, and I started the company and
it is still I was the first minority to be
on the cover of a Builder's architect magazine in nineteen
(24:52):
ninety five. They had been in existence for sixty three years,
and I've been on the cover three times in the
last forty years. But in the meantime, you know, I
went back to you know, there's the company run this one.
I wanted to go back to music. But and then
when that wreck happened to me something to say, hey,
(25:12):
you've got to start living giving and you can't be here,
be there. You know, you weren't born with eight arms
just two legs. Since that accident, I've concentrated on writing
once a week in this book, which makes me happy.
So it's like somebody has a hobby. I got a
happy hobby. It's writing these Christian little antecedents, you know,
(25:37):
and then the company runs, you know, is working. But
that's that's basically what has happened to me with that
the home building business.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
You know, it must have made you incredibly proud being
the first minority builder to be you know, featured on
the on the cover of Architecture magazine.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
What what a what an amazing, amazing out come?
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Well yeah, also, yeah, I tell you what. As I
was doing that, I have met people that tell people,
you know, I got this home that was built by
round Robin, you know, And I said, no, I want
you to buy a home because it's a good home,
not because it's you know, and it's amazing. But the
thing of being the first it was being recognized because
(26:25):
there was good a good builder.
Speaker 4 (26:28):
You know.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I don't look at it as like the first minority
even though people say that I wanted to be the
good builder. I was recognized as being good as I
was a good enter trainer as I was a good person,
and it says you're a good builder, you know. And
I build this home and my motto is I don't
build a house. I build a home is the I
(26:52):
was going to live in it. That's how I build it.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Amazing Well, Robin in closing, is there one lesson that
you could pass on that at eighty one years old
still keeps you passionate, happy, energized?
Speaker 4 (27:13):
What's the key to that?
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Here? Again, I found out that God has a purpose
and a passion and a plan for everybody. Sometimes we
are selective in listening and we have a me mentality.
Once you get rid of that me mentality and realize,
(27:38):
like you and I are talking, Yeah, you're not talking
to a minority. It were just two people talking and
we have we have something in common. And that is
the basic of being happy, is finding that common thread
that will sew you together. You know, I have my
(28:00):
book The Believer's Perspective. Meeting Paul and even talking to you,
you know, buzz I know that I'm going to see
you getting talk to you again, you know, with us
on this show or not, you know, But that's the
common thread of finding your purpose and your purpose is
not to go out and how much money you can
make and politics yourself sort of like I've never heard
(28:22):
so many people Democrats, Republicans, Da da da da. It's
how about just America? How about this is the president
of the United States? How about buzz and I have
two guys talking.
Speaker 4 (28:36):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Robin Lloyd, thank you for being on taking a walk,
for passing on your wisdom, sharing your story and continuing
to inspire us.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
For what you do every day.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
It's really amazing and I know we'll meet again.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Well, thank you for just you say, come on and
take a walk with me. Because as I was talking
to you, a lot of these things I had forgotten.
You just pack them away and you just like you know,
you like an old trunk will close, you open up,
you go, oh, yeah, I remember when I wore that suit,
and talking to you is making me unpack some things
(29:16):
and said, yeah I remember that.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
Yeah, that's the greatest compliment anyone could pay me.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Thank you so much, Robin. It's a joy. You're a treasure.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Tell us somebody to go out and get this book
A believer's perspective. I'm gonna hug thatll On Amazon dot com.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
Go get it. A believer's perspective. Thank you, Robin, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a
Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends
and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking
a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
and wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Lynn Hoffman
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Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.