Who Are Those Singers & Musicians ~ Rocky Roberts

 

Charles ‘Rocky’ Roberts was born on August 23, 1940, in Tanner, Alabama, He was an Italian rhythm and blues singer known for always wearing dark sunglasses. He is said to have introduced soul music to Italy and set fashion trends for Italian youths in the 1960s.

He was the fourth child of a modest family. He was fatherless at the age of eight; He began to work very young, practicing various trades. Moving to Miami, Florida, he enlisted in the United States Navy and embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Independence in Boca Chica Key West. Here he had some success in boxing, to the point of winning four championships in the welterweight category, in the various stages of U.S. naval missions abroad. However, during a match, a blow to the jaw and left eye seriously injured him, forcing him to abandon boxing and to wear dark glasses which, in addition to covering the scar, gave him the artistic look that distinguished him in the following years.

He first got interested in singing after listening to a country-oriented musician named Doug Fowlkes, whose band the Airdales (US-navy slang for Navy pilots) used to perform on the ship where Roberts was stationed. Fowlkes, impressed by Roberts' voice, eventually agreed to let him sit in with the band.

Roberts won a singing competition while on shore leave in Juan-les-Pins, France, and chose to stay in Europe after retiring from the Navy in 1962.

Roberts had a stint in France performing at ORTF television show Les raisins verts and achieved some success with an early version of "T-Bird" and "Monkiss".

In 1965 Renzo Arbore and Gianni Boncompagni invited Roberts to Rome to record the theme of their Radio Show, Bandiera Gialla. The song, "T-Bird", was a hit in the Italian charts and Roberts settled in Rome.

In 1967, Roberts had a major Italian hit, "Stasera mi butto", which sold 3.7 million copies and won the Festivalbar. The song's success led to a 1967 motion picture of the same title, starring Roberts. He appeared subsequently in several other Italian films.

Roberts sang the Luis Bacalov-written theme song from the 1966 film, “Django.” Quentin Tarantino reused the recording as the opening theme for his 2012 film “Django Unchained”. Roberts also sang the main theme song “Can Be Done” for the 1972 Spaghetti western “It Can be Done” starring Bud Spencer and Jack Palance.

Rocky Roberts died of lung cancer in Rome on January 14, 2005, at the age of 64.

ROBERTS, Rocky (Charles Roberts) [8/23/1941, Tanner, Alabama, U.S.A. – 1/14/2005, Rome, Lazio, Italy (lung cancer)] – boxer, singer, actor, married to Katia Roberts         (19??-2005) father of Randy Roberts.

Django – 1966 [sings “Django” English version]

It Can be Done... Amigo! – 1972 [sings: “Can be Done”]