Dick Robertson
Richard Joseph Robertson (July 3, 1900 – July 12, 1979) was an American popular big band singer and songwriter of the 1930s and 1940s. He sang for many bandleaders such as Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Leo Reisman, Andy Kirk, and Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra, and was on the artist roster at Banner Records. |
Birth and Death Data: Born New York City (most populous city in the United States), Died 1979
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1955
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor vocal, leader, songwriter, vocalist, speaker, lyricist, arranger, composer
Notes: Sometimes billed as "The Radio Jester."
See Also: Donaldson Quartet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 929 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BVE-49220 | 10-in. | 12/3/1928 | Then came the dawn | Park Central Orchestra ; Ben Pollack | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-49932 | 10-in. | 2/7/1929 | I'm thirsty for kisses, hungry for love | Dick Robertson ; Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-49989 | 10-in. | 2/23/1929 | Wedding bells (Are breaking up that old gang of mine) | Gene Austin ; Dick Robertson ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-50901 | 10-in. | 2/28/1929 | Something to live for | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-50902 | 10-in. | 2/28/1929 | You're perfect! | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-50919 | 10-in. | 3/7/1929 | Don't do that to the poor puss-cat | Dick Robertson ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-63360 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | Hittin' the bottle | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-63361 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | That Lindy hop | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-63362 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | You're lucky to me | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-63363 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | Memories of you | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-64378 | 10-in. | 11/26/1930 | What good am I without you? | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-64623 | 10-in. | 11/18/1930 | That's where the South begins | Red Nichols and his Big Ten ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-64624 | 10-in. | 11/18/1930 | I'm tickled pink with a blue-eyed baby | Red Nichols and his Big Ten ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BVE-67489 | 10-in. | 3/5/1931 | One little hour with you | Irving Mills Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-69609 | 10-in. | 5/13/1931 | That's my desire | Dick Robertson ; Wooding’s Grand Central Red Caps | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-69683 | 10-in. | 6/3/1931 | Thumpin' 'n' bumpin' | Eubie Blake’s Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-69684 | 10-in. | 6/3/1931 | Little girl | Eubie Blake’s Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-69685 | 10-in. | 6/3/1931 | My blue days blew over (When you came back to me) | Eubie Blake’s Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-69910 | 10-in. | 11/25/1931 | Home | Peter Van Steeden Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-70140 | 10-in. | 7/31/1931 | Oh, it looks like rain | Connie’s Inn Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-70141 | 10-in. | 7/31/1931 | Sweet music | Connie’s Inn Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-70142 | 10-in. | 7/31/1931 | My sweet tooth says I wanna | Connie’s Inn Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-70143 | 10-in. | 7/31/1931 | Malinda's weddin' day | Connie’s Inn Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-70187 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | Waiting for the moon | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
| Victor | BRC-70188 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | Red-headed baby | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Robertson, Dick," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107135.
Robertson, Dick. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107135.
"Robertson, Dick." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Robertson, Dick, 1903-1979 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n94083523
Wikidata: Dick Robertson - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16008787
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/1322149108402068780002
MusicBrainz: Dick Robertson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/279a134f-f0bb-479a-8c67-5dbbd95ba25b
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/344388 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/344388
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