Tribute to Robert Thomas Jr

The following article is an interview that I had with Robert Thomas Jr on the 25th of February 2004, South Beach, Miami, Florida. This conversation was recorded in Bobby's beautiful old black Mercedes, on a parking lot, just outside Touch (the club were Bobby used to perform regularly). I've tried to represent the interview as truely as possible to the original recording.

The first question I asked him was to tell me something about his childhood.

Robert Thomas Jr

I was born here in Miami Beach, as a matter of fact. At the Jewish Mount Sinai hospital. My father worked for two rabbis and they loved him a lot. So during this time blacks were not really allowed on the beach.

Gijs

Oh yeah?

Robert Thomas Jr

Oh yeah. This was a long time ago, things were pretty strange for black people here at the time. But these people had a lot of power, so I was born at the Jewish hospital. Even after regular school I went to the Jewish temple. So my early influences with music was very different from the average kid.

Gijs

So, what were they, the influences?

Robert Thomas Jr

The cantor singing for the ceremonies, yeah, that blew me away and also grew up watching Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, you know, those old crooners from the old black and white movies. So, for me, I mean, I saw music as this wonderful ice cream shop with all these different flavors, you know, every country has something beautiful to say, with their own music and language and everything.