Robert Crenshaw is an American drummer, recording artist, author, and robotics instructor/trainer. He is known primarily for his solo recordings and his years in his brother

Marshall Crenshaw Marshall Howard Crenshaw (born November 11, 1953) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for hit songs such as " Someday, Someway", a US top 40 hit in 1982, " Cynical Girl", and " Whenever You're on My Mind". He is ...

's band.

Biography

Early years

Crenshaw grew up outside of Detroit in

Berkley, Michigan Berkley is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit on the Woodward Corridor, Berkley is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 United ...

. His parents and three brothers (

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...

, Mitchell, and John) were musically inclined. He was gifted his first drums at age 9, a red Trixon set. Crenshaw's first band Rasputin included younger brothers of members of Marshall's band Astigafa. In his teens he was drummer for Denny and the Robots, an oldies band. In 1976, Crenshaw and his lifelong friend Stewart Simon studied recording engineering at the

Institute of Audio Research The Institute of Audio Research (IAR) was an educational institution in New York City. Students of IAR were offered a wide variety of academic programs in the field of music production and audio engineering. Students could choose from courses i ...

in New York City.

Marshall Crenshaw Band

After Marshall Crenshaw finished his involvement in ''

Beatlemania Beatlemania was the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band the Beatles from 1963 to 1966. The group's popularity grew in the United Kingdom in late 1963, propelled by the singles " Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and " She Loves Yo ...

'', he recruited Robert as drummer for his new band, along with bassist Chris Donato. Marshall signed with Warner Brothers in 1981, and the trio recorded the album ''

''. Robert also drummed on Marshall's follow-up album ''

Field Day Field day may refer to: * For the armed forces use and its derivatives, see wiktionary:field day * Field day (agriculture), a trade show * Field Day (amateur radio), an annual amateur radio exercise * Field Day (band), a Canadian pop-punk band fro ...

'' in 1983, but only appeared on two tracks on ''

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

''. He was back on drums for 1987's '' Mary Jean & 9 Others'', along with

Graham Maby Graham Maby (born 1 September 1952) is an English bass guitar player. He has recorded and toured with Joe Jackson since his first album, appearing on most of Jackson's albums and tours. Maby was born and raised in the central south coast town ...

on bass.

Recordings

On Crenshaw's first three albums: ''Full-Length Stereo Recordings'', ''Victory Songs'' and ''Dog Days'', Crenshaw recruited Dixon, Marti Jones, and Jamie Hoover, among others. For 2014's ''Friends, Family, and Neighbors'', Crenshaw was assisted by his brother John, a sound mixer, producer Don Dixon, bassist Maby, and engineer Stewart Simon.

Cinema

In 1986, Robert and Marshall Crenshaw played members of the reunion band at the beginning of the film ''

Peggy Sue Got Married ''Peggy Sue Got Married'' is a 1986 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Kathleen Turner as a woman on the verge of a divorce, who finds herself transported back to the days of her senior year in high s ...

''.

Memoir

In June 2019, Crenshaw published his memoir, "My Mythological Narrative A Rock Odyssey." The book chronicles Crenshaw's life and experiences including growing up in Berkley, Michigan, playing drums for brother, Marshall's band, and interactions with musicians such as Tina Turner, Joe Jackson, and Hall and Oates.

Personal life

Besides performing music whenever possible, Crenshaw is a curriculum writer and robotics instructor in the automation industry. He also wrote a

mechatronics Mechatronics engineering, also called mechatronics, is the synergistic integration of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems employing mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer engineering, and also ...

curriculum.

Discography

Solo recordings

* 1999: ''Full-Length Stereo Recordings'' (Gadfly) * 2000: ''Victory Songs'' (Gadfly) * 2003: ''Dog Dreams'' (Gadfly) * 2014: ''Friends, Family, and Neighbors'' (self-released)

EPs

* 2012: ''Atheist Christmas'' (self-released)

With Marshall Crenshaw

* 1982: ''

'' (

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

) * 1983: ''

'' (Warner Bros.) * 1985: ''

'' (Warner Bros.) * 1987: '' Mary Jean & 9 Others'' (Warner Bros.) * 1989: '' Good Evening'' (Warner Bros.) * 1994: ''

Live …My Truck Is My Home ''Live …My Truck Is My Home'' is a live album by singer/songwriter Marshall Crenshaw, which includes performances from 1982 to 1994. Curiously, the photo on the cover was NOT Crenshaw. He relates, “The idea or a live albumhad been kicking ...

'' ( Razor & Tie)

Also appears on

* 1986: Marti Jones – ''Match Game'' ( A&M) * 2003:

Ronnie Spector Veronica Yvette Greenfield (, formerly Spector; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022) was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group the Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll". ...

– ''Something's Gonna Happen'' (Bad Girl Sounds)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crenshaw, Robert Living people American rock drummers 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 21st-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Year of birth missing (living people) Drummers from Detroit