Robert Owens (UK)

Supported by Brendon P, Shigeki

With more than 20 years as a gifted singer, songwriter, producer and DJ under his belt, Robert has not so much embellished house music as he has defined it.

Tears, I’ll Be Your Friend and Ordinary People are just some of the tunes that have borne Robert Owens’ black velvet voice and gone on to become truly classic dance records. Like many other great vocalists,Robert Owens began his career singing in church gospel choirs. Growing up in the less affluent areas of Chicago and L.A., he used music as an escape from his destitute surroundings. Entry into the nascent world of 80s house music came not through Robert’s singing, but rather through his skills as a DJ. By the time people like Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles were designing house music’s blueprint on the dance floors of legendary venues like the Warehouse and the Music Box, Robert was DJ-ing at block parties and smaller clubs in Chicago.

From the gritty but sublime Trax of yesteryear to the forward-looking projects of today, Robert Owens is one of dance music’s true legends, a man who has his roots in the future and his feet planted firmly on the earth – and a man who has never been afraid of sharing himself with others. In the wise words of ID Magazine, “If God could sing, he would sound like Robert Owens.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!