Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

guitarist. He was a member of the L.A. Express and Yellowjackets and has collaborated with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

Larry Carlton Larry Eugene Carlton (born March 2, 1948) is an American guitarist who built his career as a studio musician in the 1970s and 1980s for acts including Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell. One of the most sought after guitarists of his era, Carlton has ...

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

Little Feat Little Feat is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George, bassist Roy Estrada (both formerly of the Mothers of Invention), keyboardist Bill Payne, and drummer Richie Hayward in ...

, and

Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...

. He was named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by ''

Musician A musician is someone who Composer, composes, Conducting, conducts, or Performing arts#Performers, performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general Terminology, term used to designate a person who fol ...

'' magazine.

Early life

Robben Ford was born in

Woodlake, California Woodlake is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. It is situated in the San Joaquin Valley near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The population was 7,419 at the 2020 census, up from 7,279 at the 2010 census. In 1912, the cit ...

, and raised in

Ukiah, California Ukiah ( ; Pomo: ''Yokáya'', meaning "deep valley" or "south valley") is the county seat and largest city of Mendocino County, California, Mendocino County, in the North Coast (California), North Coast region of California. Ukiah had a populati ...

. He began playing the saxophone at age 10 and the guitar at age 14. Robben and two of his brothers (Patrick and Mark) created the Charles Ford Blues Band in honor of and named after their father. A fourth brother died in the Vietnam conflict.

Career

At age 18, Ford's band was hired to play with

Charlie Musselwhite Charles Douglas Musselwhite (born January 31, 1944) is an American blues harmonica player and bandleader who came to prominence, along with Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, and Elvin Bishop, as a pivotal figure in helping to revive the Chicago ...

, and recorded two albums ''The Charles Ford Band'' and ''Discovering the Blues''. He recorded two albums with

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues and jazz singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, an ...

called ''Live'' and ''Spoonful''. In the 1970s, Ford joined the

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

band, L.A. Express, led by saxophonist Tom Scott. In 1974, the band supported George Harrison on his American tour and played on the Joni Mitchell albums '' The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' and ''

Miles of Aisles ''Miles of Aisles'' is the first live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, released in 1974 on Asylum Records. It is a double album documenting her concerts in support of the ''Court and Spark'' album with her backing band for the ...

''.

After leaving the L.A. Express in 1976, Robben Ford recorded his first solo album, '' The Inside Story'' with a band that later became the Yellowjackets. In 1977 Ford was one of over half a dozen session players asked to play a guitar solo for the

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...

song " Peg." The band eventually used a version by

Jay Graydon Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) ...

. In 2006, a tribute album to Steely Dan – ''The Royal Dan'' – was released, with Ford covering "Peg" in his own style. In 1982, Ford was one of several guitarists who appeared on the KISS album ''

Creatures of the Night ''Creatures of the Night'' is the tenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released in 1982. It was the band's last for Casablanca Records, the only label for which Kiss had recorded up to that point. The album was dedicated to the memor ...

'', playing lead guitar on the songs "Rock And Roll Hell" and "I Still Love You". Ford worked briefly with

in 1986; and can be heard on Davis' Montreux box set. Ford released his second solo album ''

Talk to Your Daughter ''Talk to Your Daughter'' is a blues rock album by the American musician Robben Ford, released in 1988. The cover version of Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign" was used on the soundtrack to the Clint Eastwood movie ''Pink Cadillac (film), Pink ...

'' in 1988. He joined Philippe Saisse,

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...

and J.T. Lewis in the cast of The Sunday Night Band for the second and final season of the late-night

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

television program '' Sunday Night'' in 1989. In the 1990s, he released the albums ''Robben Ford and the Blue Line, Mystic Mile, Handful of Blues, Tiger Walk and Supernatural''. Robben Ford has received five

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

nominations and was named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by ''

'' magazine. He credited pianist and arranger

Roger Kellaway Roger Kellaway (born November 1, 1939) is an American composer, arranger and jazz pianist who has recorded over 250 albums, and composed over 20 film scores Life and career Kellaway was born in Waban, Massachusetts, United States. He is an alum ...

and saxophonist and arranger Tom Scott, whom he met while playing for

, as major influences on his musical development.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Robben Ford was married to Anne Kerry Ford. As of 2022 he lives in Paris, France. In October 2022, Ford toured in Italy opening for

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

Equipment

Guitars

Ford considers his first good electric a

Guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

Starfire III with a single Florentine (sharp) cutaway. He used
Gibson L-5
when he played with

and the Ford Band, although he never thought it was a great guitar. While playing with

, Ford traded the L-5 plus $200 for
1964 Gibson Super 400CES
(which he sold in 1986). When Ford began playing with the L.A. Express and

, he used a 1958 Gibson dot-neck ES-335. At some point he also acquired
1963 Gibson Es-335
After Ford's ''

'' album was released in 1988, Robben used a Robben Ford Signature model guitar created in a collaboration with Dan Smith of Fender and produced in Japan between 1987 and 1993. That guitar was based on the Fender Master Series Esprit Ultra that was produced from 1983 to 1986 in Japan. In 1987, new management at Fender authorized the first production of the Robben Ford Signature guitar. In 1994, production of the guitar moved from Japan to the

Fender Custom Shop The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, housed within its headquarters complex in Corona, California, Corona, Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop produces spe ...

. Three models were produced: Ultra FM (with a carved maple top), Ultra SP (with a carved spruce top), and the Elite FM (with a carved flame maple top). The guitar line continued to be produced until 2002 when it was discontinued by Fender. Sometimes he plays a vintage 1960

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele (), is an electric guitar produced by Fender (company), Fender. Together with its sister model the Fender Esquire, Esquire, it was the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes ...

Gibson Les Paul The Gibson Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that was first sold by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1952. The guitar was designed by factory manager John Huis and his team with input from and endorsement by guitarist Les Paul. Its typic ...

s, a 1963 Gibson SG, a Gibson Es-335 12-string that he has set up as a 6-string,
1966 Epiphone Riviera
(with the original Bigsby tremolo removed and replaced with a stop tailpiece). In a May 1–16, 2017 tour which ended in Niagara Falls NY, Ford debuted a newly acquired 1953 Gibson Les Paul. In the summer of 2021 he teased a

PRS PRS or prs may refer to: Science and technology * Peripheral Reflex System, an implementation of autonomous peripheral operations in microcontrollers * Personal response system, in audience response * Phenotypic response surfaces, in medicine * P ...

br>Robben Ford Limited Edition McCarty signature guitar
which was finally released in October 2022.

Amplifiers

Robben Ford uses

Dumble Amplifiers Dumble was a guitar amplifier manufacturer in Los Angeles.In a one-person operation, Alexander "Howard" Dumble (June 1, 1944 – January 16, 2022) made each amp personally. Thus Dumble amplifiers are the most expensive boutique amplifiers on the us ...

and Celestion G12-65 speakers. In 1983, Alexander "Howard" Dumble made Robben's first Dumble Overdrive Special (serial #102) for Robben. Dumble himself is the owner of serial #001. When traveling abroad he prefers taking his Dumble, but will sometimes use

Fender Super Reverb The Fender Super Reverb is a guitar amplifier made by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Fender. It was introduced in 1963 and was discontinued in 1982. The Super Reverb was a Fender Super amplifier with built-in reverb and "vibrato" (a ...

Fender Twin The Fender Twin and Twin Reverb are guitar amplifiers made by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The Twin was introduced in 1952, two years before Fender began selling Stratocaster electric guitars. The amps are known for their characterist ...

amplifier An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It is a two-port electronic circuit that uses electric power from a power su ...

s. When playing his Fenders, Ford uses a Hermida Zendrive overdrive pedal, which was designed to replicate the sound of Ford's Dumble amplifier. Robben Ford has lately been playing hand crafted amplifiers by Little Walter Tube Amps.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* '' Schizophonic'' (L.A. International, 1976) * ''Live: Jimmy Witherspoon & Robben Ford'' (LAX, 1977) * '' The Inside Story'' (Elektra, 1979) * ''

'' (Warner Bros., 1988) * ''Minor Elegance'' (MGI, 1989) - with

Joe Diorio Joseph Louis Diorio (August 6, 1936 – February 2, 2022) was an American jazz guitarist. He performed with Sonny Stitt, Hal Crook, Eddie Harris, Ira Sullivan, Stan Getz, Pat Metheny, Horace Silver, Anita O'Day, and Freddie Hubbard. In recent y ...

* ''Live at the Notodden Blues Festival'' (Blue Rock'it, 1992) - with

* ''Robben Ford & the Blue Line'' (Stretch, 1992) * ''

Mystic Mile ''Mystic Mile'' is an electric blues album by Robben Ford and the Blue Line that was released in 1993. In this second album for Stretch, Ford shows growth as songwriter besides his virtuosity as a guitarist. The album featured the collaborati ...

'' (Stretch, 1993) * ''Handful of Blues'' (Blue Thumb, 1995) * ''Ain't Nothin' New About the Blues'' (AIM, 1995) - with Jimmy Witherspoon * '' Blues Connotation'' (ITM, 1997) - reissue of ''A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy Sing'' * '' Tiger Walk'' (Blue Thumb, 1997) * ''The Authorized Bootleg'' (Blue Thumb, 1997) * ''Discovering the Blues'' (Avenue, 1997) * ''

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...

'' (Avenue, 1999) * ''Supernatural'' (Blue Thumb, 1999) * ''A Tribute to

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a Western concert flute, classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored ...

'' (Blue Rock'it, 2001) * ''Blue Moon'' (Concord, 2002) * ''Keep On Running'' (Concord, 2003) * ''

Truth Truth or verity is the Property (philosophy), property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth, 2005 In everyday language, it is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise cor ...

'' (Concord, 2007) * '' Soul on Ten'' (Concord, 2009) * ''Bringing It Back Home'' (Provogue, 2013) * ''A Day in Nashville'' (Provogue, 2014) * '' Into the Sun'' (Provogue, 2015) * ''Purple House'' (Ear Music, 2018) * ''The Sun Room'' (Ear Music, 2019) - with

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

* ''Common Ground'' (13J Productions, 2020) - with Bill Evans * ''Pure'' (Ear Music, 2021) * ''Night in the City'' (Ear Music, 2023)

As member

Yellowjackets * '' Yellowjackets'' (Warner Bros., 1981) * '' Mirage a Trois'' (Warner Bros., 1983) * '' Run for Your Life'' (GRP, 1994) * ''Timeline'' (Mack Avenue, 2011)

As sideman

With

* ''Live in Tokyo'' (335 Records, 2007) * ''Unplugged'' (335 Records, 2013) With A.J. Croce * '' A.J. Croce'' (Private Music, 1993) * '' That's Me in the Bar'' (Private Music, 1995) * ''By Request'' (Compass Records, 2021) With

Tommy Emmanuel William Thomas Emmanuel (born 31 May 1955) is an Australian guitarist. Originally a session player in many bands, he has released many award-winning recordings as a solo artist. In June 2010, Emmanuel was appointed a Member of the Order of Aus ...

* ''Can't Get Enough'' (Columbia, 1996) * ''Midnight Drive'' (Higher Octave, 1997) With Jerry Granelli * ''One Day at a Time'' (ITM, 1990) * ''Koputai'' (ITM, 1990) * ''A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy Sing'' (ITM, 1992) * ''Dance Hall'' (Justin Time, 2017) With Jing Chi (Jimmy Haslip, Vinnie Colaiuta) * ''Jing Chi'' (Tone Center, 2002) * ''Live! (At Yoshi's)'' (Tone Center, 2003) * ''3D'' (Tone Center, 2004) * ''Supremo'' (Tone Center, 2017) With

* '' Down on the Farm'' (Warner Bros., 1979) * '' Hoy-Hoy!'' (Warner Bros., 1981) With

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...

* '' Here Comes the Night'' (Arista, 1982) * ''Oh Julie!'' P(Arista, 1982) With

Eric Marienthal Eric Marienthal (born December 19, 1957) is a Grammy Award-nominated Los Angeles-based contemporary saxophonist best known for his work in the jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, and pop genres. Early life Eric Marienthal was born on December 19, 1 ...

* ''Oasis'' (GRP, 1991) * ''Turn Up the Heat'' (Peak, 2001) With Keiko Matsui * ''A Drop of Water'' (Passport Jazz, 1986) * ''Under Northern Lights'' (MCA, 1988) * ''No Borders'' (MCA, 1990) With

Amanda McBroom Amanda McBroom (born August 9, 1947) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Notable among the songs she has written is " The Rose", which Bette Midler sang in the film of the same name, and which has been sung by many other recording art ...

* ''Dreaming'' (Gecko; Analogue Productions, 1986) * ''Midnight Matinee'' (Gecko; Analogue Productions, 1991) With Michael McDonald * '' If That's What It Takes'' (Warner Bros., 1982) * ''

No Lookin' Back ''No Lookin' Back'' is the second solo studio album by American musician Michael McDonald (musician), Michael McDonald. It was released on July 30, 1985 by Warner Records, Warner Bros. Records, three years after his debut studio album, ''If Th ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1985) * '' Blink of an Eye'' (Reprise, 1993) With

* ''Louisiana Fog'' (Cherry Red, 1968) * ''Takin' My Time'' (Arhoolie, 1971) * ''Goin' Back Down South'' (Arhoolie, 1974) * ''Tell Me Where Have All the Good Times Gone?'' (Blue Rock'it, 1984) * ''One Night in America'' (Telarc, 2001) With John Kaizan Neptune * ''West of Somewhere'' (Milestone, 1981) * ''Mixed Bag'' (Eastworld, 1983) With Renegade Creation * ''Renegade Creation'' (Blues Bureau International, 2010) * ''Bullet'' (Blues Bureau International, 2012) With Tom Scott * ''Tom Cat'' (Ode/A&M, 1975) * ''Reed My Lips'' (GRP, 1994) * ''Night Creatures'' (GRP, 1995) * ''Bluestreak'' (GRP, 1996) With Supersonic Blues Machine * ''West of Flushing, South of Frisco'' (Provogue, 2016) * ''Californisoul'' (Provogue, 2017) With

Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet " Up Where We Belong", and in 1987 fo ...

* ''

Famous Blue Raincoat "Famous Blue Raincoat" is a song by Leonard Cohen. It is the sixth track on his third album, '' Songs of Love and Hate'', released in 1971. The song is written in the form of a letter (many of the lines are written in amphibrachs). The lyric tell ...

'' (Cypress, 1986) * '' The Hunter'' (Private Music, 1992) With

* ''Spoonful'' (Blue Note, 1975) * ''Live at the Mint'' (On The Spot/Private Music, 1996) With others *

Gregg Bissonette Gregg Bissonette (born June 9, 1959) is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. Bissonette is known for playing and recording many different styles of m ...

, ''Submarine'' (Favored Nations, 2000) * David Blue, ''Com'n Back for More'' (Asylum, 1975) * Perry Botkin Jr., ''Ports'' (A&M, 1977) * Chris Cain, ''So Many Miles'' (Blue Rock'it, 2010) * Julie Christensen, ''Love Is Driving'' (Stone Cupid, 1996) *

Randy Crawford Veronica "Randy" Crawford (born February 18, 1952) is an American retired jazz and R&B singer. She has been more successful in Europe than in the United States, where she has not entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as a solo artist. However, sh ...

, '' Secret Combination'' (Warner Bros., 1981) *

Tiffany Darwish Tiffany Renee Darwish (born October 2, 1971), known mononymously as Tiffany, is an American pop singer. Her 1987 cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells song " I Think We're Alone Now" spent two weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...

, ''New Inside'' (MCA, 1990) *

, ''Tutu'' (Warner Bros., 2011) *

DeBarge DeBarge was an American musical recording group composed of several members of the DeBarge family. In addition to various solo projects completed by members of the family, DeBarge was active between 1979 and 1989. The group originally consiste ...

, '' All This Love'' (Gordy, 1982) *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

, ''

Under the Red Sky ''Under the Red Sky'' is the twenty-seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 10, 1990, by Columbia Records. It was produced by Don Was, David Was, and Dylan (under the pseudonym Jack Frost). The album ...

'' (Columbia, 1990) *

Richard Elliot Richard Elliot (born January 16, 1960) is an American saxophonist. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for '' Summer Horns''. Biography Early life Elliot was born in the Scot ...

, ''Initial Approach'' (ITI, 1984) *

, ''Big Fun'' (ESC, 2002) *

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the only B ...

, ''Cool Cat Blues'' (Go Jazz, 1991) * Brandon Fields, ''The Other Side of the Story'' (Nova, 1988) * Anne Kerry Ford, ''In the Nest of the Moon'' (Illyria, 1996) *

Ruthie Foster Ruthie Cecelia Foster (born February 10, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter of blues and Folk music, folk music. She mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to Bo ...

, '' The Truth According to Ruthie Foster'' (Shock, 2009) *

Kenny Garrett Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. Garrett's primary instruments are ...

, ''Old Folks'' (West Wind, 1999) *

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

, '' Rhythmstick'' (CTI, 1990) *

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...

, ''Power of Love'' (Warner Bros., 1981) *

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playin ...

, ''Helium Tears'' (New Edition, 2005) *

, ''

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is exp ...

'' (Apple, 1974) *

Amy Holland Amy Celeste Boersma (born August 15, 1953), known professionally as Amy Holland, is an American pop and rock singer. Her career spans more than 40 years. She received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1981, following her Amy Holla ...

, ''On Your Every Word'' (Capitol, 1983) * Christian Howes, ''Out of the Blue'' (Resonance, 2010) *

Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. Over the course of a career that spans five decades and 15 studio albums, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, an ...

, '' Pop Pop'' (Geffen, 1991) *

Marc Jordan Marc Wallace Jordan (born March 6, 1948) is an American-born Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, session musician, and actor. Covering a wide variety of genres, he has written songs for a number of well-known artists, including Diana Ro ...

, ''A Hole in the Wall'' (Airplay, 1989) *

, ''

'' (Casablanca, 1982) * Greg Koch Band, '' Plays Well with Others'' (Rhymes With Chalk Music, 2013) *

Dave Koz David Stephen Koz (born March 27, 1963) is an American saxophonist, composer, record producer, and radio personality based in Los Angeles, California. Early life Dave Koz was born in Encino, California, to Jewish parents: Norman, a dermatologis ...

, ''Lucky Man'' (Capitol, 1993) * L.A. Express, ''L.A. Express'' (Caribou, 1976) *

Michael Landau Michael Christopher Landau (born June 1, 1958) is an American musician, audio engineer, and record-producer. He is a session musician and guitarist who has played on many albums since the early 1980s with Boz Scaggs, Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitchel ...

, ''Renegade Creation'' (Blues Bureau International, 2010) *

Sonny Landreth Clide Vernon "Sonny" Landreth (born February 1, 1951) is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, and settled in Lafayette, Louisiana. He lives in Br ...

, '' From the Reach'' (Landfall, 2008) *

Neil Larsen Neil Larsen (born August 7, 1948) is an American jazz keyboardist, musical arranger and composer. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Sarasota, Florida before relocating to New York and then, in 1977, Los Angeles. Early life Larsen was ...

, ''Orbit'' (Straight Ahead, 2007) * Ricky Lawson, ''First Things First'' (Videoarts, 1998) * Ute Lemper, ''Crimes of the Heart'' (CBS, 1989) *

Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded with Jim Messina (musician), Jim Mess ...

, '' Celebrate Me Home'' (Columbia, 1977) *

Jeff Lorber Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for ''Prototype'' ...

, ''Step It Up'' (Heads Up, 2015) * Bob Malach, ''The Searcher'' (Go Jazz, 1995) *

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

, ''Opalescence'' (Gaia, 1989) *

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born 28 April 1941), credited as Ann-Margret, is a Swedish-American actress and singer with a career spanning seven decades. Her many screen roles include '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' Bye Bye B ...

, '' Born to Be Wild'' (Cleopatra, 2023) * Kazu Matsui Project, ''Standing on the Outside'' (Lakeside, 1983) *

John Mayall John Brumwell Mayall (29 November 1933 – 22 July 2024) was an English blues and Rock music, rock musician, songwriter and producer. In the 1960s, he formed John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, a band that has counted among its members some of ...

, ''In the Palace of the King'' (Eagle, 2007) *

Brownie McGhee Walter Brown "Brownie" McGhee (November 30, 1915 – February 16, 1996) was an American folk and Piedmont blues singer and guitarist, best known for his collaboration with the harmonica player Sonny Terry. Life and career McGhee was bor ...

, ''Facts of Life'' (Blue Rock'it, 1985) *

, '' The Hissing of Summer Lawns'' (Asylum, 1975) *

Keb' Mo' Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo', is an American blues musician. He is a singer, guitarist and songwriter, living in Nashville, Tennessee. He has been described as "a living link to the seminal Delta blues that tra ...

, '' Keep It Simple'' (Epic, 2004) *

Claus Ogerman Claus Ogerman (born Klaus Ogermann; 29 April 1930 – 8 March 2016) was a German arranger, conductor, and composer best known for his work with Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Bill Evans, Michael Brecker, and Diana Krall. ...

, ''Claus Ogerman Featuring Michael Brecker'' (GRP, 1991) *

Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His first success came in 1997 as the writer of David Kersh's "Another You (David Kersh song), Another You". After this, he signed with ...

, '' American Saturday Night'' (Arista, 2009) * Paul Personne, ''Lost in Paris Blues Band'' (Ear Music, 2016) *

Shawn Phillips Shawn Phillips (born February 3, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, primarily influential in the 1960s and 1970s. His work is rooted in folk rock but straddles other genres, including jazz fusion and funk. Phillips has reco ...

, ''Do You Wonder'' (A&M, 1975) *

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...

, '' Luck of the Draw'' (Capitol, 1991) * Kenny Rankin, ''Hiding in Myself'' (Cypress, 1988) *

Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...

, '' Play Me Out'' (MCA, 1981) *

Rudy Rotta Rudy Rotta (Villadossola, 14 October 1950 – Verona, 3 July 2017) was a Swiss-Italian blues guitarist and vocalist. Biography Rodolfo "Rudy" Rotta was born in Villadossola, Italy, in 1950, and grew up in Lucerne, Switzerland where his family e ...

, ''Some of My Favorite Songs for...'' (Pepper Cake, 2006) *

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock a ...

, '' Life Journey'' (Universal, 2014) *

Sanne Salomonsen Susanne Salomonsen (born on 30 December 1955) is a Danish singer and songwriter, better known under the nickname Sanne Salomonsen. Salomonsen joined a local rock band in 1967, and her first solo album was released in 1973. She became one of the m ...

, ''In a New York Minute'' (Virgin, 1998) *

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (July 30, 1945 – May 12, 2024) was an American alto saxophonist. He worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age o ...

, ''Hearsay'' (Elektra, 1994) *

Marilyn Scott Marilyn Scott (born December 21, 1949) is an American jazz vocalist. Biography Born in Altadena, California, Scott got her start performing locally at age 15. She went to college in San Francisco, singing in both jazz and pop ensembles there. S ...

, ''Without Warning!'' (Mercury, 1983) *

, ''Working Class Dog'' (RCA, 1980) * The Sylvers, '' Forever Yours'' (Casablanca, 1978) * Eric Tagg, ''Dreamwalkin'' (Pony Canyon, 2015) *

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans (), was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for playing the chromatic harmonica, as well as his guitar and wh ...

, ''East Coast West Coast'' (Private Music, 1994) * William Topley, ''Mixed Blessing'' (Mercury, 1998) * Walter Trout, ''We're All in This Together'' (Provogue, 2017) * Carl Verheyen, ''Trading 8s'' (Cranktone, 2009) * Sadao Watanabe, ''Encore!'' (JVC, 2017) * Steve Weingart, ''Life Times Vol. 01'' (Skeewa Music, 2003) *

The Whispers The Whispers are an American vocal group from Los Angeles, California. Scoring hit records since the late 1960s, they are best known for their two number-one R&B singles, " And the Beat Goes On" in 1979 and " Rock Steady" in 1987. The Whispers ...

, '' Love Is Where You Find It'' (Solar, 1982) * Anders Wihk, ''Same Tree Different Fruit'' (Videoarts, 2012) - featured on "Fernando" *

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...

, ''If It Don't Kill You It Just Makes You Stronger'' (Motown, 1989) *

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer. Life and career Yamamoto was largely self-taught as a pianist, although he did have piano lessons as a child. He attended Nihon University. As a student there, he played professionally, first as an accom ...

, ''Another Holiday'' (Warner Bros., 1985) *

Jesse Colin Young Perry Miller (November 22, 1941 – March 16, 2025), known professionally as Jesse Colin Young, was an American singer and songwriter. He was a founding member and lead singer of the 1960s group the Youngbloods. After their dissolution in 1972, ...

, ''The Perfect Stranger'' (Elektra, 1982)

Videos

* ''Robben Ford and the Blue Line: In Concert'' (Recorded April 7, 1993) * ''Robben Ford: New Morning - The Paris Concert'' (Recorded May 2001) * ''Playing the Blues'' (2002) * ''The Blues and Beyond'' (2002) * ''Back to the Blues'' (2004) * ''Autour Du Blues: Larry Carlton and Robben Ford'' (2006) * ''The Robben Ford Clinic: The Art of Blues Rhythm'' (2007) * ''Robben Ford: In Concert: Revisited'' (2008) * ''The Robben Ford Clinic: The Art of Blues Solos'' (2009) * ''Robben Ford Trio: New Morning the Paris Concert: Revisited'' (2009)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Robben 1951 births Living people People from Ukiah, California People from Woodlake, California Guitarists from California Jazz musicians from California 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male musicians American blues guitarists American jazz guitarists American male guitarists American rock guitarists American lead guitarists American male jazz musicians Elektra Records artists MCA Records artists Warner Records artists Yellowjackets (band) members Provogue Records artists The Sunday Night Band members