This pancocojams post presents information about Frank "Sugar Chile" Robinson and showcases a YouTube "video" of a movie clip of Sugar Chile Robinson performing the Blues song "Caledonia" when he was a child.
The lyrics for that song are included in this post along with selected comments from the discussion thread for that YouTube video.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Frank "Sugar Chile" Robinson for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this film clip on YouTube.
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INFORMATION ABOUT FRANK
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Chile_Robinson
"Frank Isaac Robinson (born December 28, 1938), known in his early musical career as Sugar Chile Robinson, is an American jazz pianist and singer who became famous as a child prodigy.[1]
Biography
Robinson was born in Detroit, Michigan. At an early age he showed unusual gifts singing the blues and accompanying himself on the piano.[2] According to contemporary newsreels, he was self-taught and managed to use techniques including slapping the keys with elbows and fists.[3] He won a talent show at the Paradise Theatre in Detroit at the age of three, and in 1945 played guest spots at the theatre with Lionel Hampton, who was prevented by child protection legislation from taking Robinson on tour with him. However, Robinson performed on radio with Hampton and Harry "The Hipster" Gibson, and also appeared as himself in the Hollywood film No Leave, No Love, starring Van Johnson and Keenan Wynn.[4]
In 1946, he played for President Harry S. Truman at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, shouting out "How'm I Doin', Mr. President?" – which became his catchphrase – during his performance of "Caldonia". He was the first African American performer to appear at the annual WHCA dinner. He began touring major theaters, setting box office records in Detroit and California. In 1949 he was given special permission to join the American Federation of Musicians and record his first releases on Capitol Records, "Numbers Boogie" and "Caldonia", both reaching the Billboard R&B chart. In 1950, he toured and appeared on television with Count Basie and in a short film 'Sugar Chile' Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet. The following year, he toured the UK, appearing at the London Palladium. He stopped recording in 1952, later explaining:[1]
I wanted to go to school... I wanted some school background in me and I asked my Dad if I could stop, and I went to school because I honestly wanted my college diploma.
[...]
In recent years he has made a comeback as a musician with the help of the American Music Research Foundation. In 2002, he appeared at a special concert celebrating Detroit music, and in 2007 he traveled to Britain to appear at a rock and roll weekend festival.[1] In the last Dr Boogie show of 2013, Sugar Chile Robinson was the featured artist, with four of his classic hits showcasing amid biographical sketches of his early career.[6] On April 30, 2016, he attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner on the 70th anniversary of his appearance at the 1946 dinner. He met President Obama and was saluted during the dinner, receiving a standing ovation as the picture of him as a child appeared on the video screens. In 2016 he was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame.
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SHOWCASE FILM CLIP: Frank "Sugarchile" Robinson - Caldonia
BIRDY KITTEN, Aug 26, 2006
From movie "No Leave No Love" 1946
Frank "Sugarchile" Robinson
[Excerpt from] SUGAR CHILE ROBINSON (By Dave Penny)
...Apart from a few radio transcriptions and film soundtracks, "Sugar Chile" Robinson's complete recording career - a period of just under three years - has been reissued in its entirety on one 2003 CD compilation, "Chronological Classics 1949-52". If he really was only nine years old at the time, the performances from his first session such as Vooey, Vooey Vay, Caldonia and Numbers Boogie were quite astonishing. As with other child stars, like Toni Harper, Robinson was frequently burdened with immature material, but even nursery rhyme knock-offs such as Sticks And Stones, Christmas Boogie and (Rock-A-Bye) Baby Blues were transformed into entertaining performances with hip and clever touches. The youngster acquitted himself as a pianist exceptionally well on the few instrumentals, particularly Lazy Boy's Boogie, and for variety he occasionally switched to organ or celeste on later sessions.
Once the hits had dried up and he was released from his Capitol Records contract, there were one or two more reports in the trade papers of the day - he was reported in August 1954 as playing The Blue Note in Chicago with modern jazzer Gerry Mulligan (!) - and then nothing! What happened? Did his voice break? Did the novelty of an infant boogie virtuoso suddenly lose its appeal when he hit 12? Was he really found out to be an adolescent midget in disguise? Last year it was announced that a 62 year-old "Sugar Chile" Robinson had been rediscovered living in Detroit, where he has worked mainly outside music for almost 50 years (although he is rumoured to be the same Frank Robinson who co-owned the obscure Detroit-based soul label, Lando Records, in the 1960s) , and was brought out of retirement to pound the ivories once again at a music festival which celebrated pre-Motown music from the Motor City. The internet has been strangely silent since, so I am unsure whether the festiva l even took place. Does anybody know?
CD: The Chronological Sugar Chile Robinson, 1949-1952 (Classics 5052, released in 2003). 24 tracks.
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Delo Nevashe
6 years ago
Walkin’ with my baby, she’s got great big feet,
She long lean and lanky and ain’t had nothin’ to eat!
But she’s my baby and I love her just the same,
Crazy about that woman ’cause Caldonia is her name.
Caldonia!
Caldonia!
What makes your big head so hard? Huh!
I love you, love you just the same,
I’ll always love you baby ’cause Caldonia is your name.
You know,
My momma told me to leave Caldonia alone;
That’s what she told me, no kiddin’!
That’s what she said!
She said,
“Son, keep away from that woman, she ain’t no good, don’t bother with her!”
But momma didn’t know what Caldonia was puttin’ down!
So I’m goin’ down to Caldonia’s house, and ask her just one more time!
Caldonia!
Caldonia!
What makes your big head so hard?
Now!
Source: comment from Delo Nevashe, 2013 [in the discussion thread for this embedded video]
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
(with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
TheDrummer51, 2013
"Googled this kid 'cause it really surprised me I hadn't heard of him. In 1952, he told his dad he didn't want to neglect his education. Subsequently, he earned degrees in History and Psychology."
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REPLY
Toni sumblin, 2020
"He still plays in concerts. He’s a fantastic jazz pianist."
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Kenya N, 2014
"He was sooooooooo cute! It's great how his life turned out later, finishing his academic studies and going into psychology. Many child prodigies are not lucky when they become adults because they are either considered washed-up or they develop issues from being exploited as children. He must have come from a very supportive family."
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REPLY
Toni sumblin, 2020
..."He actually has a Ph.D And does concerts once in a while. Jazz pianist. His family believed strongly in education. I once heard that they were not happy to see him exploited when he started getting famous and wanted him to enjoy a normal childhood. Very wise decision."
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