Selina Iglesias: Greene Publishing, Inc.
This year's Grand Marshal for the 20th of May is Chuck Roberson, a dynamic Blues singer born in Augusta, Ga. As a child, Roberson and his family relocated to Madison, where he discovered his deep passion for music.
Influenced by artists such as Bobby Bland, Little Milton, Tyrone Davis and O.V. Wright, Roberson began his music career in the mid-70s. He released several singles, including “Love Affair,” “You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone,” and “I Feel It Coming.” Roberson relocated to Philadelphia in the late '70s in hopes of achieving success in a disco career, but he eventually returned home in 1973.
After releasing two LPs in the late '80s, Roberson was put on the radar. With label company Ecko, he eventually released six full-length albums in the '90s and released a steady stream of full-length albums before he found himself furthering his career on an independent level. Roberson formed his own company, Cruise On Records and issued a new record in 2005 called “Expressions of Yesterday.” In 2009, he signed with CDS Records for a full band CD. Since, Roberson has released “Deep Southern Soul” (CDS 2010), “I'll Take Care of You” (Desert Sounds 2011), “The Devil Made Me Do It” (Desert Sounds 2012) and “Over In The Woods” (Cruise On 2016).
Be sure to see Roberson lead the 20th of May parade on Saturday, May 20 at 10 a.m., which will begin at Martin Luther King Drive and end at the Madison Recreational Building.
To learn more about Roberson or to purchase his albums, visit www.soulbluesmusic.com/chuckroberson.htm.