Savoy Records' Producer Rev. Lawrence C. Roberts

We've lost another legend!!!

Many of you may have already been informed that Gospel Legend, Savoy Records’ producer, Rev. Lawrence C. Roberts passed away on July 14, 2008 at 5:22 pm. We were advised by his granddaughter, Dawn Miles that Rev. Roberts was with his family at the kitchen table when he was stricken with a massive heart attack.

Rev. Roberts is credited with changing the course of Gospel music history by being the first to perfect the “Live” recording experience in the Gospel genre with The King Of Gospel Rev. James Cleveland’s “Volume I”. In a conversation with Rev. Roberts, he shared with me how he met with Rev. James Cleveland and advised him that he wanted to record him “live,” in church, in service and just let the machine run. He stated, “no one at that time could see how that could work because the industry was only use to studio recordings; take one, take two, go back and clean it up and if you have to clean up a song too much you lose some of the fervor that the original interpretation may have had.”

That historic recording took place in October, 1960. Rev. Roberts went on to produced 14 albums for The King Of Gospel, Rev. James Cleveland, which included the classics “Peace Be Still”, “I Stood On The Banks Of Jordan”, “Christ Is The Answer” and the list goes on and on.

Rev. Lawrence C. Roberts’ legendary career came full circle just as he and Malaco began to reestablish a working relationship before his untimely death.

In memory of Rev. Lawrence C. Roberts, The Malaco Music Group will release his final contribution to this historic label, a compilation he entitled, “Bridging The Past, Blessing The Present In Song.”

To listen to clips of this Gospel Legend, visit www.malaco.com

The viewing was held Friday, July 18 in Scottsdale, Georgia and the funeral was Saturday, July 19, in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Our hearts and prayers go out to his family during this time. He will be missed.

D.A. Johnson