Rev. Cleophus Robinson

The Rev. Cleophus Robinson never matched the sales figures of numerous peers yet remained a fixture on the gospel circuit for most of the postwar decades, chiefly through a coast-to-coast television series that lasted twenty-five years. Born March 18, 1932, in Canton, MS, he reportedly performed his first gospel number, "Who Will Be Able to Stand?," at age three according to family accounts; thereafter he sang regularly during cotton-field work, shaped heavily by his mother Lillie, a gospel shouter in the Mahalia Jackson mold whose voice was celebrated across the region. As a teenager he gave initial solo recitals at St. John's Church of Canton; in 1948 he relocated to Chicago and appeared in several local churches as well as with the Roberta Martin Singers, sharing bills with Jackson.

Evelyn Gay of the Gay Sisters arranged an introduction to Miracle Records head Lee Egalnick, resulting in Robinson's first session in September 1949. Credited as Bro Cleophus Robinson, he released the single "Now Lord," which sold modestly and prompted a move to Memphis, where he lived with his uncle, the Reverend L.A. Hamblin (who cut the 1968 Jewel sermon "When God Walks Out of the Field"). After high school Robinson started the weekly radio program The Voice of the Soul and began performing with visiting gospel figures, including Brother Joe May, who acted as a mentor; around the same time he began a decades-long association with pianist Napoleon Brown on both recordings and live dates.

Robinson joined Houston-based Peacock Records in 1953 and soon issued "In the Sweet By and By"; several further singles followed with limited impact before he attempted an acting career. Enrolling as a drama major at Leymole College, he was repeatedly drawn away for promotion, harming his grades and leading him back to music after one year. By 1956 his gospel prospects had stalled without a hit until the duet "Pray for Me" with sister Josephine James succeeded. The next year he moved to St. Louis to join Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, producing an uneven recording pace that closed with the 1962 LP Pray for Me. He also conducted the weekly Hour of Faith radio program throughout the decade and launched his own gospel television series in 1964.

In 1962 Robinson signed with Battle Records, a Riverside subsidiary, and cut several sides with the Gospel Chimes before returning to Peacock in 1964. The sermon single "Solemn Prayer" became one of the rare spoken-word releases to sell widely. Later that year he switched to Savoy and scored another hit in 1965 with "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by God"; by the close of 1965 he had rejoined Peacock and shifted toward a bluesier sound. After a European tour he moved to Nashboro in 1969, where "Wrapped Up, Tied Up, Tangled Up" became his biggest success and crossed over to white listeners. The track prompted a Savoy return in the 1970s, including a 1975 appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. His activity declined thereafter, though he performed at the White House in 1980 and scored another hit with "Save a Seat for Me" in 1986.