Sad eyes for Robert John: New Jersey music legend dead at 79

I was very saddened to hear that my friend music legend Robert John passed away Monday.

Robert had a big number one single on the Billboard charts in 1979 with "Sad Eyes," which also garnered him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance Male. He lost to Billy Joel that year and he was up against Rod Stewart, Kenny Rogers, and James Taylor. That is some company.

He had a No. 3 hit on the charts in 1972 with a remake of the "Lion Sleeps Tonight," co-produced by the original artist and producer the talented Jay Seigal.

Robert had a falsetto voice that was so unique that only a few artists could ever accomplish hitting the high notes that he did. It was a pure voice, one that I compared to Roy Orbison who was a master at smoothly transitioning into a higher vocal range.

Robert was a quiet man, to a fault. He talked to me about meeting Elvis, riding around with the legendary Doc Pomus, B.B. King and meeting Dick Clark like you and I would throw around stories of going to the grocery store.

It seemed that every one of the times we got together there was a new story. I was taken back by the inroads he had made in the very tough music industry.

I had a good friendship with Robert and as a favor he would agree to judge my Big Joe Jersey Talent Show each summer on the beach and was taken back by the adoration and enthusiasm of the crowd when he was announced. I would play "Sad Eyes" and "Lion Sleeps Tonight" for the crowd and they would thoroughly enjoy it.

When he could listen to my show, he would tell me how he worked with a couple of artists on my playlist, all while we shared a beer and a burger at our favorite saloon. He enjoyed coming over and sitting at my outdoor back bar and watching the Yankees and invariably, we would talk about music.

Robert made his first appearance on the Top 100 charts at the age of twelve with his hit "White Bucks and Saddle Shoes." He sang in Carnegie Hall in New York at the age of 10.

Robert wrote for Motown Records and songs for Lou Rawls, Blood, Sweat & Tears and Bobby Vinton. He was a major background vocalist singing with Hall of Famer Smokey Robinson and Al Kooper. His voice is on dozens of Top 20 hits.

He worked hard in the music business but when things were tough, he worked for a construction company here in New Jersey. He did what he had to do.

I talked with his son Mike Pedrick who was kind enough to let me know that Robert passed. We talked about how he was so down-to-earth yet his life in music would make one outstanding book. There are some remarkable stories and pictures that chronicle this incredibly special man’s life.

My thoughts are with Mike and the Pedrick family, thank you for sharing your father’s talent with so many. I will miss him.

Robert succumbed to complications from yet another round of Covid.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.

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