A Triumphant Life

After a nightmarish childhood, My adult life has been glorious and a triumphant gift.  I have been to a hundred countries visited every continent at least once or twice, danced with kings, dined with presidents been recognized and rewarded for my work, earned a shameful amount of money for writing 22 minutes of television and written over 200 hours of TV.   I have filmed under the Arc d’ Triomph, been in dozens of museums around the world including Napoleon’s Museum in Paris, shopped in Cairo’s Souk and along Tokyo’s Ginza,  rode camels and elephants, stood in the shadow of the great Pyramids of Giza, felt at home riding the Bulllet Train all over Japan and slow-poke trains all over Europe and the US. I’ve lived on two Caribbean Islands. Was loved by the Genius for 28 years and my other musician soul mate for 35, been thrilled with the exploits of my children who constantly amaze me with their gifts, beauty and generosity. I treasure my Buddhism, shakabuku’d  me by Herbie Hancock.  There are many miles, many sites and many sights left to go before my loved ones take my ashes on the road between Nice and Cannes and let go free the remains of Ruth Adkins Robinson.

my family at my museum

Black Music Directors

Long ago, you never saw a black music conductor tv. Well, not so long ago really. When I was a little kid, there were a few variety shows, chief among them was Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town. Accoring to Cornelius Grant, esteemed source of lots of things music, the only person of any color that the musical director of that show would give up his podium for was Maurice King. "Pops" as he was affectionately known was an elegant old man when I met him, still full of music and stories. All about the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, little Gladys Knight, of course, those Motown memories and a lucky few of us got to hear him talk. Well on Wed. June 8 at the California African American Museum, there is a program called "Shaping the Sound of Television," the Black Music Directors. Yep, there's enough for an actual panel. Moderated by sweet, supertalented Patrice Rushin, the panel of Michael Bearden "Lopez Tonight," Ray Chew, "American Ido," Rickey Minor, "Jay Leno," Greg Phillinganes, "Surprise Oprah!" Harold Wheeler, 14 years on Dancing with the Stars and James "Big Jim" Wright from the Mo'Nique Show and now a whole bunch of people are going to get to hear them. Lucky you if you got a private invitation. Come by and listen right along with Ruth Adkins Robinson

Apollo Anniversary fills up CAAM

Today was good for me. Almost every chair was filled with people who wanted to celebrate Apollo's 75th Anniversary, as seen through the eyes of the people on stage. Cornelius Grant showed a 20 minute clip of the very first MotorTown Revue to play the Apollo. As is the custom, the unknown acts open a show. This time it was the "no-hit Supremes." They looked pretty good, but Mary, Florence and Diane didn't have the choreography to any state where they were comfortable with it and the song was certainly not memorable. It was great to see Bill Murry the comedian who was then the "voice of Motown" handling the emcee chores. The CAAM crowd laughed long and loud at Marvin Gaye, second on the bill, as he went through the gyrations of "Hitchhike," and were amazed by how tiny 11 year old Stevie Wonder was and how fluid his playing was. Cornelius, of course, was the guitar player with the Choker Campbell band, dead center, hair conked out and guitar pick in hand. When he talked about some of the people on the Apollo stage now gone forever, he was very emotional. The audience loved him as they did Tony Neuton, the bass player with Smokey Robinson, Thelma Houston and as the photo said one of the Funk Brothers during the international tour. I stitched the day together with memories of working at the Apollo, first in 1985 for the 50th Anniversary; then again for six years as the writer and episode producer for "Showtime at the Apollo," and for the "Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem." We shared some good things, funny and uplifting things and spent almost an hour taking questions. Guess nobody gets tired of old Motown memories or of the place in Harlem where "Stars are Born and Legends are Made." Doing something is rewarding, getting to relive it with an appreciative audience is sweet icing on the happiness cake. Icing all over my face, I'm Ruth Adkins Robinson.

pitch, pitch, pitch until your arms fall off

it was like speed dating for writers. no, not trying to date other writers, just getting producers to want to date your project. So palms sweating, a step away from hypervenilating, my Show and Tell (Cornelius Grant) in tow, in I went. I've never had to pitch, there've always been somebody looking for what and how I write. But I decided I needed to do this and away we went. While other people were muttering about lack of interest, six of the people I pitched my project about "Love, Dissapointment, Music, Race and Friendship" were interested. Incredibly, six out of seven. The day was a blur and I'm trying to sort it all out in my head. How odd to take a script there that I wrote eight years ago and stuck in a drawer because it wasn't good enough and have all this interest. Well, I'm ready for my rewrite.... --Ruth Adkins Robinson