ISU to honor JR Robinson

AMES — Legendary drummer John “JR” Robinson of Creston returns to his home state next month to receive a Doctorate of Musical Arts from Iowa State University.

The event, to be held at spring graduation ceremonies May 17, marks a full-circle moment for the Creston native whose unmistakable musical instincts have powered more than 50 Grammy-winning songs and the groove behind over 500 million records sold. Robinson was included in Rolling Stone’s “Top 100 Drummers of All Time.”

The first honorary degree within Iowa’s public university system came nearly 150 years ago in 1877, when ISU conferred an honorary master of agriculture to Isaac R. Roberts, who served as farm superintendent for the institution. In total, ISU has issued 154 honorary degrees over 148 years to the likes of James Hilton, ISU president from 1953 to 1965; Norman Borlaug, who earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for developing wheat varieties; and George Washington Carver, a world-renowned plant scientist and ISU’s first African-American student.

In February, the board approved two more ISU honorary degrees to Larry Buss, farmer and retired chief hydrolic engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers; and John “JR” Robinson, an Iowa native widely recognized as the most recorded drummer in the history of music, with a discography that includes over thousands of recording sessions for the music, television and film industries.

“His work can be heard on 60 Grammy-award winning records, over 200 Billboard Top 100 singles, and 30 No. 1 hit songs,” according to regent documents.

Robinson’s memoir, “King of the Groove,” has officially received bestseller status, offering readers behind-the-scenes stories from his six-decade career. It chronicles his interest in music as a young boy in Creston and his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston before launching his professional career. The foreward in the book is written by the late Quincy Jones, who worked closely with Robinson for decades.

Robinson’s performing style has transcended genres — seamlessly moving between pop, R&B, funk and jazz with a signature groove that’s made him a first-call drummer in the industry. His instantly recognizable drum fill in Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and the unforgettable intro to Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” are just two of the examples from more than 6,000 recording sessions as well as more than 500 film and television soundtracks.

Robinson has backed the likes of Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Chaka Khan and Rufus, Michael McDonald, Natalie Cole, Rod Stewart, Seal, Lionel Richie, Michael Buble, Herbie Hancock and Stanley Clarke.

In addition, Robinson has announced the summer launch of 4th Quarter Press Publishing, a new book publishing venture extending his legendary influence beyond music to empower others to share their stories and inspire new generations of entrepreneurs.

“Take charge of your life by paving your own road,” Robinson advises. “Make it a priority to fall in love with what you are doing with your life. Nothing will ever bring the immense value of what this one goal will give you.”

Robinson, 70, is a 1973 graduate of Creston High School. He formed his own band at age 10 and played with the Iowa Big Band at age 14. After graduating from Berklee, he moved to Los Angeles in 1978 and quickly established himself as the most in-demand studio drummer in the country.

Faculty members from Iowa State’s Department of Music and Theater nominated Robinson for the honorary doctorate degree. The nomination is supported by Iowa State’s Faculty Senate Honorary Degree Committee and Executive Board; Senior Vice President and Provost Jason Keith; and President Wendy Wintersteen, who presented it to the Board of Regents.