Song:Rocky
Album:Super Hits of the '70s: Have a Nice Day Vol. 15
Rocky was the only top ten hit for Austin Roberts in 1975. He is not to be confused with the jazz musician Austin Roberts who played with Oscar Peterson. Roberts has had a long songwriting career in Nashville. He was born George Austin Robertson Jr. Sept. 19, 1945 in Newport News, VA. He had some success in the early 70s as lead singer of Arkade. He recorded for Philips, ABC-Dunhill and Chelsea. But he had his biggest hit Rocky when he signed with Private Stock Records in 1975. Private Stock was owned by former Bell Records exec Larry Uttal. Rocky had already been a hit on the country charts. The song was written by Jay Stevens AKA Nashville DJ Woody P. Snow. Veteran country music singer Dickey Lee had his only number one country hit with Rocky in 1973. It's a sad song about a guy who loses his wife. And sometimes sad songs are hits. Roberts' recording of Rocky was produced by veteran session musician and former Buddy Holly band member Bob Montgomery. It reached #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Roberts had a couple of other chart hits like Something's Wrong With Me in 1972 and Keep On Singing in 1973. But Rocky was his most memorable song. He only recorded one album for Private Stock and they closed in 1978. You can get Rocky on this Rhino various artists comp. Roberts recorded as a Christian artist for Newpax and MCA-Songbird. He co-wrote Over You for the 1983 film Tender Mercies which was nominated for an Oscar. He has written songs for film and TV and wrote When You Put Your Heart In it which was the theme for the 1988 US Olympic Gymnastics team. The TV production of his musical Rachinoff won a Cable ACE Award. And he has won two songwriting Grammys for IOU recorded by Lee Greenwood and Chance of a Lifetime recorded by Take 6. Roberts continues to live in Nashville and write songs. Here's a video for Rocky by Austin Roberts.
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