Rick Patrick: rick@greenepublishing.com
Desmond Roberson now lives in Valdosta, but he still keeps his Madison County ties fresh. The Madison County High School (MCHS) grad grew up in Madison and began singing as a youngster at Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church. Roberson's musical abilities caught the attention of Carl Joseph, who invited Roberson to sing with his group, The Spiritual Tru-Tones.
After spending several years touring with Joseph and his group, Roberson helped form the Madison County Boys Choir. The Madison County Boys Choir gained a great deal of notoriety singing and performing in churches and community events throughout the area.
Now, Roberson has turned his attention to performing along with his wife and four of his eight children as "Desmond Roberson and the Roberson Bunch." The family has recently released their debut album entitled "Here's the Story." This latest project features tight, jazz-influenced vocals and an uplifting, positive message. According to Roberson, he takes influences from many different musical styles. Roberson describes the group's music as "black quartet music," but one can hear many different influences on this latest project. One can hear hints of earlier gospel groups such as Andre Crouch and the Disciples and the Mighty Clouds of Joy along with contemporary jazz, pop and even slight hip-hop sounds. One cut from the album, "Still Working on Me" is a cover of a popular southern gospel song, but the Roberson's put their own jazzy twist to it. "We wanted to be of some sort of encouragement during such a difficult time for our country, so we wanted to release music that could motivate and inspire our listeners," said Roberson. "We are very happy with this accomplishment, but plan to do even more in the near future." The album was released on Friday, May 22, and debuted at #63 on the iTunes Top 200 chart. The project was produced by a young Valdosta native, Eric Brown, II and features musical contributions from Brandon Sharper and Antoine Spade Bradley.
Although the musical talents of four of his eight children can be heard on the album, all of his children contribute to the family's musical endeavors. "One of my sons is very athletic and really doesn't have that much interest in singing," added Roberson. "He does help us by serving as sort of a 'road manager' when we are traveling. Others help with selling CDs. We always have a lot of fun on the road."
Roberson and his family can frequently be found performing in churches around the area. Every year, Roberson hosts a "Lupus Awareness Concert" in honor of his mother, Tammy Mullins, who suffered for many years with lupus. The annual concert helps to raise funds for a scholarship at North Florida College.
"Here's the Story" can be found on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and other digital platforms, including YouTube.