Successes As An Artist
His most successful single was "Rocky" which reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. The track reached #22 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1975; Roberts' only chart appearance in the UK.
A close runner-up was the hit, "Something's Wrong With Me", written by Danny Janssen and Bobby Hart, which reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Roberts and Hart later wrote the song "Over You" for the 1983 film, Tender Mercies; "Over You" was nominated for the 1984 Academy Award for Best Original Song, as well as the Golden Globe nomination for Best Song in a Motion Picture. "Keep on Singing" was another important hit for Roberts (#50 on the Hot 100 in 1973.) As the lead singer of the group Arkade, he had two Billboard Hot 100 hits in 1970-71, including the easy listening crossover, "The Morning Of Our Lives". It became the Bridal Fair theme, which then became a Top 15 Adult Contemporary hit. In 1988, Roberts wrote the American Gymnastics Team's theme song for the Olympics, "When You Put Your Heart in It." It subsequently became a Top 20 Adult Contemporary hit for Kenny Rogers. In 1999, Busch Gardens commissioned Roberts to write the opening song for their Williamsburg Extravaganza. Roberts has written a number of songs for soap operas, as well as many more for films, including Tornado, Within These Walls, and They Were the Mulvaneys. He has also taught a songwriting course in Charlotte, North Carolina and Chesapeake, Virginia.
In addition to his success on the charts, Roberts also has experience with the stage. Roberts has written the music and lyrics for two musicals, Rachinoff and Damon's Song. Rachinoff, starring Rob Marshall (the future director and choreographer of Chicago), was performed at Carnegie Mellon in 1981. It was nominated for an ACE Award (Cable Emmy). Damon's Song, starring three Tony Award winners, was performed at Pennsylvania Stage Co. in 1979. Roberts also had #1 single success with Reba McEntire (Annie Get Your Gun) and Gary Morris (Les Misérables).
Roberts' voice is also recognizable as the singer of the theme song to the animated series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! as well as the "chase songs" featured in season 2 of the series.
Read more about this topic: Austin Roberts (singer)
Famous quotes containing the words successes as, successes and/or artist:
“You may have enemies whom you hate, but not enemies whom you despise. You must take pride in your enemy: then your enemy’s successes will be your successes as well.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Neither years nor books have yet availed to extirpate a prejudice then rooted in me, that a scholar is the favorite of Heaven and earth, the excellency of his country, the happiest of men. His duties lead him directly into the holy ground where other men’s aspirations only point. His successes are occasions of the purest joy to all men. Eyes is he to the blind; feet is he to the lame. His failures, if he is worthy, are inlets to higher advantages.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.”
—Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)