Robb Royer
Encyclopedia
Robert Wilson "Robb" Royer (born December 6, 1942 in Los Angeles
, California
) was the bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter with Bread
from 1968 to 1971. While he was with the band, they had a #5 UK/#1 US hit single with "Make It With You
". He was replaced by Larry Knechtel
in 1971.
In 1970, Royer and Jimmy Griffin
, under the pseudonyms Robb Wilson and Arthur James, wrote the lyrics for "For All We Know
," featured in the film Lovers and Other Strangers
. It won the Academy Award for Best Song.
Before co-founding Bread, Royer had been a member of the band The Pleasure Fair
, whose only album in 1967 was produced and arranged by David Gates
, Royer's future bandmate in Bread.
Now living and working in Nashville, his songwriting credits include works for Jimmy Griffin, The Remingtons
, Mary Chapin Carpenter
, John Michael Montgomery
, Randy Travis
, Billy Burnette
, The Finnigan Brothers (Mike Finnigan
) and others.
Royer obtained his first guitar when he was 19 years old and a college sophomore at San Fernando Valley State College in Northridge (now California State University at Northridge). He met Tim Hallinan at the school. "Finally, when I began playing guitar, the scales tipped and Tim saw reason to talk to me. He liked to sing and I liked to play."
The two began to perform together as "Robb & Tim" and then later added the talent of Michele Cochrane. Hallilan recalled "What I remember best about Michele was, first, that she could actually sing. I was just faking it, doing what I’ve done since I was born, an approach to life that begins with the words, 'Act like you can –' In this case, it was sing. But Michele actually could; she had a glorious voice."
, who had previously graduated from Valley State's music department, giving a senior recital in classical guitar. The group called themselves by various names, the most notable being "The Pleasure Fair" and by 1966 they managed to obtain a recording contract for a single with Hanna Barbera Records under the name "The Rainy Day People". "Junior Executive" was the "A" side, backed with "I'm Telling It To You" (both songs written by Cohn, Hallinan and Royer)
A year later the group signed a recording contract with Uni Records in 1967 David Gates was hired as the arranger and conductor for the Pleasure Fair's self-titled album.
Royer's song "Say What You See" (co-written with Tim Hallinan) would end up in 1968 being produced by Jimmy Griffin and arranged by David Gates. It was sung by a trio calling themselves "The Curtain Calls." Soon afterward in the same year the three founding members of Bread (Royer, Griffin and Gates) would combine forces as their own group.
through a mutual friend, Maria Yolanda Aguayo, who would later become Griffin’s wife. Initially Griffin asked Royer to help with writing horn parts for a music course that Griffin was taking. Soon Royer and Griffin were working together as staff song writers for Viva Publishing. Jimmy Griffin had been hired by Viva first and was originally supposed to write with another Viva writer, but preferred working with Royer. Griffin soon forced the issue with Viva when he asked if they wanted only half of the publishing rights or all of the rights, resulting in Viva hiring Royer by 1967. Griffin earned $75 a week, Royer received $50 a week but those salaries were sufficient to pay the rent at that time (Royer’s monthly rent for his L.A. apartment was $80 a month in 1967).
Royer and Griffin, using the pseudonyms Robb Wilson and Arthur James, wrote the lyrics for "For All We Know
," featured in the film Lovers and Other Strangers
, which won the Academy Award for Best Song. The song has charted three times: The Carpenters (1971) reached number one on the Adult Contemporary charts (#3 in the Billboard Hot 100); Shirley Bassey (1971) reached number six on the UK charts; Nicki French (1995) reached number 42 on the UK charts.
Royer and Griffin would continue to write and collaborate on various projects until Griffin's death in 2005,
in 1968. Maria Yolanda Aguayo once again contributed to the band’s history when she revealed a trend she noticed as (Record Producer) Gary Usher’s desk girl at CBS records – band managers generally waited in the lobby but attorneys generally had immediate access to the executives at CBS. The trio quickly hired Al Schlesinger to represent them and he pitched their group to three labels in their search of a recording contract: Elektra, Apple and Atlantic. Apple records did not have clear leadership and was quickly eliminated from the process. Atlantic had recently signed two supergroups – Crosby Stills & Nash and Led Zeppelin – and they were based on the East Coast. Elektra was the label for The Doors, but were becoming embroiled in Jim Morrison’s legal battles. When both Atlantic and Elektra offered recording deals to Bread, the group chose the Elektra deal because they had a local headquarters in L.A. and the group felt Elektra would more actively promote them, given Atlantic’s other recent signings.
The first album made use of Jimmy Gordon
’s drumming. Gordon also performed drums with the group during their initial gigs. Due to Gordon’s high demand among multiple recording artists and his participation with the artists that eventually became Derek and the Dominos, Gordon was replaced with Mike Botts as the group’s regular drummer.
After several years Robb Royer and David Gates came to a breaking point because Gates wanted more control of the group. Royer left the group in 1971 after it’s third album and was replaced with Larry Knechtel
who had previously contributed the piano performance on Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Royer continued to write with Griffin and Bread continued to record Royer/Griffin collaborations.
and won an ASCAP Airplay award. Royer traveled to Nashville to receive the award and stayed with Griffin, who had previously relocated from L.A. to Nashville. Larry Knechtel
had also been living and working as a session musician in Nashville. Royer relocated to Nashville in 1994.
Todd Cerney
was already a grammy-nominated songwriter when Royer met him in 1994 at Jim Della Croce’s house. Cerney had written two top-forty songs (Loverboy
’s “Notorious” and Restless Heart
’s “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” which reached number one on the Country charts). Cerney had established a private recording studio in his home where he engineered a number of other singer-songwriters’ albums.
Griffin, Royer and Cerney first collaborated by co-writing the song “Kyrie” in 1994. Knechtel later joined the trio and together they performed and co-wrote songs (including the 1995 song “Slow Train”) under the band name “Toast”. Toast performed at various Nashville venues including the Bluebird, Third and Lindsley, and 12th & Porter. They wrote and performed their own songs including such titles as “Road Kill,” “Knechtelodeon,” ”No More Smokin’,” “Grenadine,” “Magdelena,” and “Radio Dixie.” The group used session drummers for their recordings and performances. The group would later be known as Radio Dixie in 1998. The name change was intended to help with promotion of the group, but the group disbanded by the end of 1998. Royer and Cerney continued to write together, generating additional titles including ”Hurtin’ Cowboy,” ”New Orleans Prayer,” “I Believe I Kissed an Angel,” and “Beside Myself.”
to write "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)
" which was recorded by John Michael Montgomery
and became a number one Billboard Country chart hit in 1995.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) was the bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter with Bread
Bread (band)
Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
from 1968 to 1971. While he was with the band, they had a #5 UK/#1 US hit single with "Make It With You
Make It with You
"Make It with You" is a song written by David Gates and originally recorded by the pop/rock group Bread, of which Gates was a member.The song first appeared on Bread's 1970 album On the Waters...
". He was replaced by Larry Knechtel
Larry Knechtel
Lawrence William "Larry" Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician with such artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Partridge Family, The Doors, and Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s...
in 1971.
In 1970, Royer and Jimmy Griffin
Jimmy Griffin
James Arthur Griffin was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter with the 1970s rock band Bread.-Early life:An Academy Award winning songwriter, Griffin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. His musical training began when his parents signed him up for accordion lessons...
, under the pseudonyms Robb Wilson and Arthur James, wrote the lyrics for "For All We Know
For All We Know (1970 song)
"For All We Know" is a popular song written for the 1970 film, Lovers and Other Strangers, by Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson and Arthur James . It was originally performed by Larry Meredith....
," featured in the film Lovers and Other Strangers
Lovers and Other Strangers
Lovers and Other Strangers is a 1970 comedy film based on the play by Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna. The film features an ensemble cast including Richard Castellano, Gig Young, Cloris Leachman, Anne Jackson, Beatrice Arthur, Bonnie Bedelia, Michael Brandon, Harry Guardino, Anne Meara, Bob Dishy,...
. It won the Academy Award for Best Song.
Before co-founding Bread, Royer had been a member of the band The Pleasure Fair
The Pleasure Fair
The Pleasure Fair was a musical performing group based in Los Angeles in the mid 1960s. The original group membership included Robb Royer, Tim Hallinan, Michele Cochrane and Stephen Cohn....
, whose only album in 1967 was produced and arranged by David Gates
David Gates
David Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
, Royer's future bandmate in Bread.
Now living and working in Nashville, his songwriting credits include works for Jimmy Griffin, The Remingtons
The Remingtons
The Remingtons was an American country music group founded by Jimmy Griffin, Richard Mainegra, and Rick Yancey, all of whom played guitar and sang. All three members were previously members of soft rock groups: Griffin was previously a member of Bread, while Mainegra and Yancey had previously been...
, Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
, John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery is an American country music artist. He has produced more than thirty singles on the Billboard country charts, including two of Billboard’s Number One country singles of the year: "I Swear" and "Sold "...
, Randy Travis
Randy Travis
Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...
, Billy Burnette
Billy Burnette
William Beau "Billy" Burnette III is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter who was part of the band Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1995. Burnette also had a brief career in acting.-Family background:...
, The Finnigan Brothers (Mike Finnigan
Mike Finnigan
Mike Finnigan is an American keyboard player and vocalist, his specialty being the Hammond Organ.-Career:Finnigan has toured and sessioned for the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Etta James, Sam Moore, Crosby Stills and Nash, Dave Mason, Buddy Guy, Manhattan Transfer, Taj Mahal, Michael...
) and others.
Early interests in music
Robb Royer was exposed to recordings of classical music from early childhood and in Junior High school he pursued playing clarinet in the band. He attended and graduated from Sierra High School in Tollhouse, CA. While there he briefly participated in marching band but preferred to focus on the music rather than the marching. During his senior year he participated in concert band playing alto saxophone.Royer obtained his first guitar when he was 19 years old and a college sophomore at San Fernando Valley State College in Northridge (now California State University at Northridge). He met Tim Hallinan at the school. "Finally, when I began playing guitar, the scales tipped and Tim saw reason to talk to me. He liked to sing and I liked to play."
The two began to perform together as "Robb & Tim" and then later added the talent of Michele Cochrane. Hallilan recalled "What I remember best about Michele was, first, that she could actually sing. I was just faking it, doing what I’ve done since I was born, an approach to life that begins with the words, 'Act like you can –' In this case, it was sing. But Michele actually could; she had a glorious voice."
The Pleasure Fair
Soon the trio became a quartet with the addition of Stephen CohnStephen Cohn
Stephen Cohn is a composer of concert and film music living in Los Angeles, California. His compositional style embraces an expanded tonality with a 21st century perspective.- Early life :...
, who had previously graduated from Valley State's music department, giving a senior recital in classical guitar. The group called themselves by various names, the most notable being "The Pleasure Fair" and by 1966 they managed to obtain a recording contract for a single with Hanna Barbera Records under the name "The Rainy Day People". "Junior Executive" was the "A" side, backed with "I'm Telling It To You" (both songs written by Cohn, Hallinan and Royer)
A year later the group signed a recording contract with Uni Records in 1967 David Gates was hired as the arranger and conductor for the Pleasure Fair's self-titled album.
Royer's song "Say What You See" (co-written with Tim Hallinan) would end up in 1968 being produced by Jimmy Griffin and arranged by David Gates. It was sung by a trio calling themselves "The Curtain Calls." Soon afterward in the same year the three founding members of Bread (Royer, Griffin and Gates) would combine forces as their own group.
Jimmy Griffin collaborations
Robb Royer met Jimmy GriffinJimmy Griffin
James Arthur Griffin was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter with the 1970s rock band Bread.-Early life:An Academy Award winning songwriter, Griffin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. His musical training began when his parents signed him up for accordion lessons...
through a mutual friend, Maria Yolanda Aguayo, who would later become Griffin’s wife. Initially Griffin asked Royer to help with writing horn parts for a music course that Griffin was taking. Soon Royer and Griffin were working together as staff song writers for Viva Publishing. Jimmy Griffin had been hired by Viva first and was originally supposed to write with another Viva writer, but preferred working with Royer. Griffin soon forced the issue with Viva when he asked if they wanted only half of the publishing rights or all of the rights, resulting in Viva hiring Royer by 1967. Griffin earned $75 a week, Royer received $50 a week but those salaries were sufficient to pay the rent at that time (Royer’s monthly rent for his L.A. apartment was $80 a month in 1967).
Royer and Griffin, using the pseudonyms Robb Wilson and Arthur James, wrote the lyrics for "For All We Know
For All We Know (1970 song)
"For All We Know" is a popular song written for the 1970 film, Lovers and Other Strangers, by Fred Karlin, Robb Wilson and Arthur James . It was originally performed by Larry Meredith....
," featured in the film Lovers and Other Strangers
Lovers and Other Strangers
Lovers and Other Strangers is a 1970 comedy film based on the play by Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna. The film features an ensemble cast including Richard Castellano, Gig Young, Cloris Leachman, Anne Jackson, Beatrice Arthur, Bonnie Bedelia, Michael Brandon, Harry Guardino, Anne Meara, Bob Dishy,...
, which won the Academy Award for Best Song. The song has charted three times: The Carpenters (1971) reached number one on the Adult Contemporary charts (#3 in the Billboard Hot 100); Shirley Bassey (1971) reached number six on the UK charts; Nicki French (1995) reached number 42 on the UK charts.
Royer and Griffin would continue to write and collaborate on various projects until Griffin's death in 2005,
Bread
Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin co-founded Bread with David GatesDavid Gates
David Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
in 1968. Maria Yolanda Aguayo once again contributed to the band’s history when she revealed a trend she noticed as (Record Producer) Gary Usher’s desk girl at CBS records – band managers generally waited in the lobby but attorneys generally had immediate access to the executives at CBS. The trio quickly hired Al Schlesinger to represent them and he pitched their group to three labels in their search of a recording contract: Elektra, Apple and Atlantic. Apple records did not have clear leadership and was quickly eliminated from the process. Atlantic had recently signed two supergroups – Crosby Stills & Nash and Led Zeppelin – and they were based on the East Coast. Elektra was the label for The Doors, but were becoming embroiled in Jim Morrison’s legal battles. When both Atlantic and Elektra offered recording deals to Bread, the group chose the Elektra deal because they had a local headquarters in L.A. and the group felt Elektra would more actively promote them, given Atlantic’s other recent signings.
The first album made use of Jimmy Gordon
Jim Gordon (musician)
James Beck "Jim" Gordon is an American recording artist, musician and songwriter. The Grammy Award winner was one of the most requested session drummers in the late 1960s and 1970s, recording albums with many well-known musicians of the time, and was the drummer in the blues-rock supergroup Derek...
’s drumming. Gordon also performed drums with the group during their initial gigs. Due to Gordon’s high demand among multiple recording artists and his participation with the artists that eventually became Derek and the Dominos, Gordon was replaced with Mike Botts as the group’s regular drummer.
After several years Robb Royer and David Gates came to a breaking point because Gates wanted more control of the group. Royer left the group in 1971 after it’s third album and was replaced with Larry Knechtel
Larry Knechtel
Lawrence William "Larry" Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician with such artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Partridge Family, The Doors, and Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s...
who had previously contributed the piano performance on Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. Royer continued to write with Griffin and Bread continued to record Royer/Griffin collaborations.
Griffin and Knechtel
Bread disbanded in 1973 and Jimmy, Larry and Robb ended up working together, releasing one album with Polydor records in 1974 under the name “James Griffin & Co.” Although none of the songs charted, Ray Charles would make the song “She Knows” one of his standards. The trio began work on a second album but it was completed by other producers and released in Europe.Toast/Radio Dixie
In 1982 Royer wrote the song “Quittin’ Time” (co-written with Roger Linn) which eight years later was recorded by Mary Chapin CarpenterMary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
and won an ASCAP Airplay award. Royer traveled to Nashville to receive the award and stayed with Griffin, who had previously relocated from L.A. to Nashville. Larry Knechtel
Larry Knechtel
Lawrence William "Larry" Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist, best known for his work as a session musician with such artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, The Partridge Family, The Doors, and Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s...
had also been living and working as a session musician in Nashville. Royer relocated to Nashville in 1994.
Todd Cerney
Todd Cerney
Todd Cerney was an American songwriter and musician.He composed "Good Morning Beautiful", a 2002 five-week country number one hit for Steve Holy ; "The Blues Is My Business" , part of Etta James' 2003 Grammy Award winning album "Let's Roll"; and "I'll Still Be Loving You", a 1987...
was already a grammy-nominated songwriter when Royer met him in 1994 at Jim Della Croce’s house. Cerney had written two top-forty songs (Loverboy
Loverboy
Loverboy is a Canadian rock group formed in 1980 in Calgary, Alberta. Throughout the 1980s, the band accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and the United States, earning four multi-platinum albums and selling millions of records...
’s “Notorious” and Restless Heart
Restless Heart
Restless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's original members were John Dittrich , Paul Gregg , Dave Innis , Greg Jennings , and Verlon Thompson...
’s “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” which reached number one on the Country charts). Cerney had established a private recording studio in his home where he engineered a number of other singer-songwriters’ albums.
Griffin, Royer and Cerney first collaborated by co-writing the song “Kyrie” in 1994. Knechtel later joined the trio and together they performed and co-wrote songs (including the 1995 song “Slow Train”) under the band name “Toast”. Toast performed at various Nashville venues including the Bluebird, Third and Lindsley, and 12th & Porter. They wrote and performed their own songs including such titles as “Road Kill,” “Knechtelodeon,” ”No More Smokin’,” “Grenadine,” “Magdelena,” and “Radio Dixie.” The group used session drummers for their recordings and performances. The group would later be known as Radio Dixie in 1998. The name change was intended to help with promotion of the group, but the group disbanded by the end of 1998. Royer and Cerney continued to write together, generating additional titles including ”Hurtin’ Cowboy,” ”New Orleans Prayer,” “I Believe I Kissed an Angel,” and “Beside Myself.”
Cosmo and Robetta
Robb Royer, fulfilling a deathbed wish from Jimmy Griffin, completed in 2010 a project begun by the two in 1973 after Bread's first breakup. A mix of rock opera and radio "Theater of the Mind," the project is a dramatic narration completed with sound effects and music which tells the story of Cosmo, an electronics whiz who is the sole human employee of Savage motors. In his spare time he has built Robetta, a robot who later becomes nearly human in appearance and abilities. The project was an expansion of an earlier work, "The Plastic Sibling", co-written by Robb alongside a number of college friends, including Tim Hallinan.Additional songwriting
Royer collaborated with Richard FaganRichard Fagan
Richard Fagan is an American songwriter and musician. He has had six top ten singles and 18 charted singles on the Billboard Country charts...
to write "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)
Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)
"Sold " is a the title of a song written by Richard Fagan and Robb Royer and recorded by American country music artist John Michael Montgomery. It was released in May 1995 as the second single from his 1995 self-titled album. It hit number-one on the country charts in the United States and Canada...
" which was recorded by John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery
John Michael Montgomery is an American country music artist. He has produced more than thirty singles on the Billboard country charts, including two of Billboard’s Number One country singles of the year: "I Swear" and "Sold "...
and became a number one Billboard Country chart hit in 1995.