Robert Randolph

Sacred Steel

Robert Randolph

About Robert Randolph

A virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Robert Randolph jumped from spiritual to secular music and found an audience among blues fans, roots rock aficionados, and jam band followers with his fiery, passionate instrumental work and heartfelt music. While Randolph cut his teeth playing in services at the House of God Church in his native New Jersey (a domination where the pedal steel is a key part of the musical program), his talents were discovered by fans outside the church, and he made his recording debut with a live album recorded with his backing group the Family Band, 2001's Live at the Wetlands, that mixed gospel and full-bodied rock and blues. Randolph's first studio set, 2003's Unclassified, broadened the scope of his repertoire with flashes of funk and Caribbean sounds. His subsequent albums with the Family Band, such as 2010's When We Walk This Road (produced by T-Bone Burnett) and 2013's Lickety Split, were steeped in passion and energy that came from Randolph and his band's instrumental skills and heartfelt fusion of multiple genres. Robert Randolph started playing the instrument as a church-going teenager in Orange, New Jersey, a small city just outside of Newark. He regularly attended the House of God Church, an African-American Pentecostal denomination that had been using steel guitars (or "Sacred Steel") in services since the '30s, with the pedal steel in particular being introduced during the '70s. Randolph learned to play by watching other steel players during church services; years later, he updated that sacred foundation with a secular mix of funk and soul, giving a new multicultural facelift to an instrument that had often been associated with country music. In early 2000, Jim Markel heard Randolph play at the Sacred Steel Convention in Florida and subsequently introduced him to his friend Gary Waldman. Together, Waldman and Markel began to manage Randolph's career, which took flight after Matt Hickey, a talent buyer at Manhattan's Bowery Ballroom, signed Randolph on as the opening act for the North Mississippi Allstars. Within a month, Randolph had graduated to The Beacon Theater, where he played alongside Medeski, Martin & Wood. Keyboardist John Medeski enjoyed Randolph's playing so much that he asked him to record an instrumental gospel/blues album with the band. The resulting record, The Word, was released in August 2001 to great critical and popular acclaim. Randolph next launched his own group, the Family Band, which included cousins Danyell Morgan and Marcus Randolph (bass and drums, respectively) and John Ginty (Hammond B-3 organ). The band's career began with opening gigs for a variety of blues, jazz-funk, and jam bands such as the Derek Trucks Band, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, and Soulive; headlining gigs became the norm within a few months' time. Robert Randolph & the Family Band released Live at the Wetlands in fall 2001, capturing their live performance at the legendary Wetlands venue shortly before it closed. The group's studio debut, Unclassified, followed in 2003 and introduced Randolph to an even wider audience. One new fan was veteran guitarist Eric Clapton, who brought the band out on tour and appeared on Randolph's third release, Colorblind, in 2006. In 2010, Randolph teamed up with producer T-Bone Burnett and released the album We Walk This Road, which featured guest appearances from Ben Harper, Leon Russell, and Doyle Bramhall II. Randolph spent the better part of three years touring with the Family Band; they signed to Blue Note Records in the interim. Lickety Split appeared in 2013 with guests Trombone Shorty and Carlos Santana. After several more rounds of touring, including reuniting with John Medeski for more performances as the Word, the Family Band returned to the studio to cut their fifth studio album. Randolph's first album for Sony Masterworks, 2017's Got Soul, included guest appearances from vocalist Darius Rucker, jazz and gospel keyboardist Cory Henry, and R&B singer Anthony Hamilton. Celebrated country and roots music producer Dave Cobb joined Randolph and his bandmates in the studio to cut 2019's Brighter Days, which was issued by Provogue, a blues-oriented label based in the Netherlands. ~ Ann Wickstrom, Rovi

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About Robert Randolph

A virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Robert Randolph jumped from spiritual to secular music and found an audience among blues fans, roots rock aficionados, and jam band followers with his fiery, passionate instrumental work and heartfelt music. While Randolph cut his teeth playing in services at the House of God Church in his native New Jersey (a domination where the pedal steel is a key part of the musical program), his talents were discovered by fans outside the church, and he made his recording debut with a live album recorded with his backing group the Family Band, 2001's Live at the Wetlands, that mixed gospel and full-bodied rock and blues. Randolph's first studio set, 2003's Unclassified, broadened the scope of his repertoire with flashes of funk and Caribbean sounds. His subsequent albums with the Family Band, such as 2010's When We Walk This Road (produced by T-Bone Burnett) and 2013's Lickety Split, were steeped in passion and energy that came from Randolph and his band's instrumental skills and heartfelt fusion of multiple genres. Robert Randolph started playing the instrument as a church-going teenager in Orange, New Jersey, a small city just outside of Newark. He regularly attended the House of God Church, an African-American Pentecostal denomination that had been using steel guitars (or "Sacred Steel") in services since the '30s, with the pedal steel in particular being introduced during the '70s. Randolph learned to play by watching other steel players during church services; years later, he updated that sacred foundation with a secular mix of funk and soul, giving a new multicultural facelift to an instrument that had often been associated with country music. In early 2000, Jim Markel heard Randolph play at the Sacred Steel Convention in Florida and subsequently introduced him to his friend Gary Waldman. Together, Waldman and Markel began to manage Randolph's career, which took flight after Matt Hickey, a talent buyer at Manhattan's Bowery Ballroom, signed Randolph on as the opening act for the North Mississippi Allstars. Within a month, Randolph had graduated to The Beacon Theater, where he played alongside Medeski, Martin & Wood. Keyboardist John Medeski enjoyed Randolph's playing so much that he asked him to record an instrumental gospel/blues album with the band. The resulting record, The Word, was released in August 2001 to great critical and popular acclaim. Randolph next launched his own group, the Family Band, which included cousins Danyell Morgan and Marcus Randolph (bass and drums, respectively) and John Ginty (Hammond B-3 organ). The band's career began with opening gigs for a variety of blues, jazz-funk, and jam bands such as the Derek Trucks Band, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, and Soulive; headlining gigs became the norm within a few months' time. Robert Randolph & the Family Band released Live at the Wetlands in fall 2001, capturing their live performance at the legendary Wetlands venue shortly before it closed. The group's studio debut, Unclassified, followed in 2003 and introduced Randolph to an even wider audience. One new fan was veteran guitarist Eric Clapton, who brought the band out on tour and appeared on Randolph's third release, Colorblind, in 2006. In 2010, Randolph teamed up with producer T-Bone Burnett and released the album We Walk This Road, which featured guest appearances from Ben Harper, Leon Russell, and Doyle Bramhall II. Randolph spent the better part of three years touring with the Family Band; they signed to Blue Note Records in the interim. Lickety Split appeared in 2013 with guests Trombone Shorty and Carlos Santana. After several more rounds of touring, including reuniting with John Medeski for more performances as the Word, the Family Band returned to the studio to cut their fifth studio album. Randolph's first album for Sony Masterworks, 2017's Got Soul, included guest appearances from vocalist Darius Rucker, jazz and gospel keyboardist Cory Henry, and R&B singer Anthony Hamilton. Celebrated country and roots music producer Dave Cobb joined Randolph and his bandmates in the studio to cut 2019's Brighter Days, which was issued by Provogue, a blues-oriented label based in the Netherlands. ~ Ann Wickstrom, Rovi

Robert Randolph's Concerts & Tour Dates

Date Event name Venue
12 Sep 2025 Mt. Joy, Khruangbin, The Wailers, The Soul Rebels, Vampire Weekend, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Band of Horses, The Teskey Brothers, Trampled by Turtles, The 502s, Joy Oladokun, Robert Randolph, Yoke Lore, Neighbor, Mountain Grass Unit in East Aurora Knox Farm State Park, East Aurora, NY, United States
12 Sep 2025 Mt. Joy, Khruangbin, The Wailers, The Soul Rebels, Vampire Weekend, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Band of Horses, The Teskey Brothers, Trampled by Turtles, The 502s, Joy Oladokun, Robert Randolph, Yoke Lore, Neighbor, Mountain Grass Unit in East Aurora Knox Farm State Park, East Aurora
14 Sep 2025 Robert Randolph, KORDELYA in King of Prussia Upper Merion Township Building Park, King of Prussia, PA, United States
17 Sep 2025 Steve Miller Band, Robert Randolph in Lincoln Pinewood Bowl Theater, Lincoln, NE, United States
20 Sep 2025 Steve Miller Band, Robert Randolph in Camdenton Ozarks Amphitheater, Camdenton, MO, United States
26 Sep 2025 Robert Randolph in Denver Levitt Pavilion Denver, Denver, CO, United States
11 Oct 2025 Steel Pulse, Robert Randolph, Mihali, Cedric Burnside, Bumpin Uglies, Ron Artis II in Orleans Nauset Beach, New Orleans, LA, United States
31 Oct 2025 Steve Miller Band, Robert Randolph in Lincoln The Venue at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, Lincoln, NE, United States
14 Dec 2025 The Allman Betts Family Revival in Clearwater Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, United States
19 Dec 2025 Jimmy Hall in Tucson Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson, AZ, United States

Robert Randolph's Popular songs

  • Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Live
  • Keep Up
  • Mission Temple Fireworks Stand
  • god's work
  • You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had - Live

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Some of Robert Randolph's most popular songs include Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Live, Keep Up, Mission Temple Fireworks Stand, god's work, You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had - Live. These tracks have impressed fans and helped cement their place in the music industry.

You can listen to Robert Randolph's music on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Their most popular songs include Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Live, Keep Up, Mission Temple Fireworks Stand, god's work, You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had - Live, and more.

Robert Randolph is known for their distinctive sound in the sacred steel genre, often blending elements of steel guitar, making them a unique voice in the music world.

You can find the ticket details about Robert Randolph concert from AllEvents.