Biography
Robin O'Herin is a Berkshires-based, acoustic blues and gospel musician with a hint of Appalachian mountain music. She plays bottleneck and fingerstyle guitar and mountain dulcimer.
Robin specializes in historically rich, often interactive concerts that include original and traditional American music, for schools, libraries and small listening rooms. Her concerts are warm, affirming experiences she shares with the audience. Let her take you on a journey of musical exploration through the Delta and Piedmont regions of the South. Song selections may include Robert Johnson, Blind Willie Johnson and Robin's own original blues and fingerstyle ballads.
Robin was a finalist in the 2006 Memphis Blues Challenge. She played in the Tropea Blues Festival in Trope Italy in September '06. She was the headlining act in the Resophonic Blues Festival in Pilzen, CZ. in '05. She opened for the Doobie Brothers in Pittsfield, MA. and for Vance Gilbert and Michael Powers in Sept 04. Her arrangement of "Old Country Rock" and her original "Everhopeful" were used in the soundtrack for the PBS "2005 Roadtrip Nations" Series (episode 4). She was a Telluride Blues Finalist in 2009.
Robin has shared the stage with Paul Geremia, Andy Cohen and Roy Bookbinder.
She has served as song leader in several churches and led a traditional gospel choir.
Robin has performed Appalachian gospel, blues and original music throughout New England in churches, coffee houses and festivals. She has been a song leader in several churches and formed a gospel choir which performed traditional gospel music.
Growing up in the Sixties, she was probably the only kid in her neighborhood listening to such legendary blues artists as Leadbelly, Robert Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, Bessie Smith, Blind Willie Johnson and Lightning Hopkins, among others. Her father still has boxes of his old 78s stored in his garage (someday they will be hers). Her mother liked folk music, especially Joan Baez and Pete Seeger, but she liked them allï¿1 D2–blues, folk and gospel.
She says, "I wore out my mother's Odetta records. My choices in music covered a wide spectrum. Leo Kottke and John Renbourne were my heroes. I found myself listening to and learning from a diversified group of musicians: everything from Phil Okes to the Staple Singers, Emmy Lou Harris to Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt and Rory Block to Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell. I learned to sing by making up harmonies and singing along with the albums. I especially loved the raw power and emotion of bottleneck blues. In August of 2001, I fulfilled a dream and spent a week at Blues Guitar Camp in California (International Guitar Seminars), with guitar greats Bob Brozman, Woody Mann and John Renbourne, to name just a few of the awesome guitarists who were there. We studied all day and jammed all night. Itï¿1 D2s never too late to go to camp."
The first CD, Red, White and Blues is filled with original music, gospel and country blues. It was recorded at SubStation, a subsidiary of SoulTube Music in Housatonic, MA, owned and run by musician, Robby Baier. It is available online and locally in the Berkshires.
The 2nd CD, The Road Home, is filled with traditional and Appalachian gospel music as well as holy blues. It is a CD filled with roots music. It was recorded at The Rotary Records in East Longmeadow, MA.
She is currently working on a new gospel CD and planning a new blues and originals CD.
There was a time growing up when my parents actually paid me not to sing, not that my singing wasn’t great, but it was just that I would never stop. I still have not stopped singing and in the words of the great gospel song, His Eye Is On The Sparrow: “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free.”
"I closed my eyes and thought I was in the Mississippi Delta"—fan at recent concert
MUSICAL RESUME:
2002 released "Red, White and Blues" CD, country blues, gospel and originals
2003 released "The Road Home" CD, holy blues
2003-Present Taught songwriting at RockOn Band Camp, Pittsfield, MA
2003 and 2005 Boston Blues Challenge Finalist
2004 Opened for the Doobie Brothers, Pittsfield, MA
2005 Headline act for the World Resophonic Association’s “Resophonic Blues Festival” in the Czech Republic
2005 Licensed two songs to PBS for the soundtrack of the 2005 Roadtrip Nation DVD series (episodes 4 & 5)
2006 Memphis Blues Challenge finalist
2006 Tropea Blues Festival in Tropea, Italy
2006 Opened for Roy Bookbinder, Little Rock, AR
2007 Opened for Davis Coen, Bridgeport, CT
2007 Opened for Paul Geremia
2007 Black Potatoe Festival, NJ
2007 Plymouth Blues and Folk Festival
2007 Taunton River Folk Festival
2008 The Guthrie Center
2009 Telluride Acoustic Blues Challenge Finalist
2010 WCUW Front Room Concert Series
2010 FODFest @ The Colonial Theater, Pittsfield, MA
2011 Old Songs Sampler Concert, Altamont, NY
2010 Partnered with RaisingtheBlues.org
2011 Partnered with Guitarsintheclassroom.org
2011 Guitar Jam III: Ladies Night Out @ The Colonial Theater, Pittsfield, MA
2011 Caffe Lena Emerging Artist Series
2011 Spartan Launch After-school Program—Beginning blues guitar & songwriting.
2012 Caffe Lena Blues Festival
2012 RockOn! Band Camp Songwriting Instructor
2012 GuitarsInTheClassroom Instructor
2012 RaisingTheBlues.org Director of Programs fro Western MA
“My life flows on, in endless song, Above earth’s lamentation,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn, That hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, While to that rock I’m clinging.
It sounds an echo in my soul, How can I keep from singing. ”
—Appalachian hymn
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