Biography
In a field long shaped by producers, where vocalists—mostly women—have fought to stay visible, Robert Owens stood out as one of the central voices of Chicago house during its late-1980s prime. Born in Ohio in 1961, he sang in church as a child before working as a DJ and crossing paths with pioneering producer Larry Heard in 1985. Together with Ron Wilson they launched Fingers Inc., issuing the singles “You’re Mine” and “It’s Over” plus the 1988 album Another Side. The trio soon disbanded once Heard’s solo work under the Mr. Fingers name gained momentum.
Owens had already placed his own material on Alleviated—“Bring Down the Walls” and “I’m Strong,” both produced by Heard—and he later secured a solo deal with 4th & Broadway. His 1990 album Rhythms in Me arrived just as the Chicago scene began to fracture, yet it preserved several highlights, including the late-’80s epic “Tears,” credited to Frankie Knuckles alongside Satoshi Tomiie.
After relocating to London in 1993, Owens built a private studio and founded Musical Directions, opening the imprint with the 1994 six-track EP The Statement and closing it with the 1997 single “Love Will Find Its Way.” In 1999 he joined Tomiie and Cevin Fisher on a cut from Tomiie’s Full Lick LP; the following year he featured on Photek’s “Mine to Give,” which reached the top of the Billboard U.S. club chart. The 2002 double-disc collection Love Will Find Its Way: The Best of Robert Owens summarized eighteen years of house recordings, yet Owens kept issuing occasional solo 12-inches and guest appearances throughout the decade.
A welcome return came in 2008 with Night-Time Stories on Germany’s Compost label, where his vocals rode productions by Kirk Degiorgio, Ian Pooley, Charles Webster, and Wahoo. Two years later Compost issued the double-disc set Art, again spotlighting contributions from Larry Heard, Atjazz, and Beanfield.
Owens had already placed his own material on Alleviated—“Bring Down the Walls” and “I’m Strong,” both produced by Heard—and he later secured a solo deal with 4th & Broadway. His 1990 album Rhythms in Me arrived just as the Chicago scene began to fracture, yet it preserved several highlights, including the late-’80s epic “Tears,” credited to Frankie Knuckles alongside Satoshi Tomiie.
After relocating to London in 1993, Owens built a private studio and founded Musical Directions, opening the imprint with the 1994 six-track EP The Statement and closing it with the 1997 single “Love Will Find Its Way.” In 1999 he joined Tomiie and Cevin Fisher on a cut from Tomiie’s Full Lick LP; the following year he featured on Photek’s “Mine to Give,” which reached the top of the Billboard U.S. club chart. The 2002 double-disc collection Love Will Find Its Way: The Best of Robert Owens summarized eighteen years of house recordings, yet Owens kept issuing occasional solo 12-inches and guest appearances throughout the decade.
A welcome return came in 2008 with Night-Time Stories on Germany’s Compost label, where his vocals rode productions by Kirk Degiorgio, Ian Pooley, Charles Webster, and Wahoo. Two years later Compost issued the double-disc set Art, again spotlighting contributions from Larry Heard, Atjazz, and Beanfield.
Albums
Singles
