What a treasure this man is to our state – as a songwriter the body of work he has produced not only on a national level but internationally as well simply put is incredible. As an entertainer and performer there is no denying he sets the highest standards both in delivery and engagement with his audience on a personal and heartfelt level. I’m very proud to know Rob Crosby is one of ours, I have enjoyed discovering his catalog of music and I would recommend if you are familiar with him you “re-discover” some great songs and if you are a young song writer/performer just learning your craft you should do yourself a favor and discover what it sounds like when you do it right!
Rob Crosby is a singer/songwriter noted for his folksy, sensitive lyrics. Born Robert Crosby Hoar in Sumter, South Carolina, he wrote his first song at age nine and had his first band, the Radiations, while still in fifth grade. Inspired by Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon, Crosby wrote songs and performed with a three-piece combo in high school. While in college, he began playing with the band Savannah in South Carolina nightclubs. He then founded the Rob Crosby Group and toured the Southeast. In 1974, the group broke up and Crosby moved to Nashville with his family; two former band members also moved there, and they and Crosby reteamed to play in local clubs.
A year after getting a job as a staff writer at a small music publishing house, Crosby's 1985 song, "She Told Me Yes," was a Top 30 hit for the group Chance. Soon others, including Lee Greenwood, began recording his songs. A performance at a songwriter's night hosted by the Nashville Entertainment Association led to a record deal with Arista, and in 1991, he released his debut album, Solid Ground, which contained three Top 20 singles, including "Love Will Bring Her Around." He wrote or co-wrote most of the songs on the album and garnered considerable critical acclaim for his sensitive, female-oriented lyrics. Arista surprisingly dropped him from the label and his next album was on the indie label River North. Starting Now built on his first two releases with excellent songs such as the country rocker “Fallin’ In And Out Of Love” and the heartbreaking “Learning As She Goes”. While devoting most of his time to writing and promoting the craft of song writing with workshops and seminars, Rob continues to perform live often.
Rob has scored hits as both a writer and an artist. His number one and top ten songs are: "Concrete Angel" by Martina McBride, "She's More" by Andy Griggs, "Holdin' a Good Hand" by Lee Greenwood, "She's a Natural" by Rob Crosby, "Love Will Bring Her Around" by Rob Crosby, "Burnin' For You" by Rob Crosby. Other artists who have recorded his songs include: Lady Antebellum, Brooks and Dunn, Trace Adkins, Carl Perkins, Paul Simon, Restless Heart, Lee Brice, Rose Falcon, Eddie Raven, Boy Howdy, Victoria Shaw, Phillip Claypool, Ronna Reeves, Ricochet, Lila McCAnn, Tim Rushlow, Neal Coty, Blackhawk, Ty Herndon, Glenn Templeton, Don Williams, The Wilkinsons, Darryl Worley, Paul Overstreet, Kristin Garner, The Osmond Brothers, Rio Grand, The Oak Ridge Boys, Whispering, Bill Anderson, Rodney Atkins, Nancy Casteele, And triple-platinum European artist Ilse DeLange.
Rob has toured with Travis Tritt, Reba McEntire, Brooks and Dunn, Billy Ray Cyrus and others. He has opened shows for Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Restless Heart, Exile, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and others, and performed in clubs and festivals throughout the United States, Canada, and eventually Europe where he has developed a particularly strong following in Holland and Switzerland.
