Sherman Robertson

Sherman Robertson is a blues guitarist, singer and songwriter from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, born in 1948 and active until his death in 2021. His style combines zydeco, swamp blues, electric blues and classic rhythm and blues, with a strong rhythm-driven guitar approach and slide playing. He is also listed as a member of Sherman Robertson & Blues Move.

Early life and influences

Robertson grows up in Houston after being born in Breaux Bridge. He first becomes interested in guitar after seeing Hank Williams perform on television at the age of 13. His father buys him an old Stella guitar, and he starts learning songs by Freddie King and Floyd London. He also grows up near Don Robey’s Duke/Peacock Records studios, where he meets many visiting musicians.

Career in zydeco and blues

By 17, Robertson is playing with a local blues band in Houston bars. In the 1980s he spends several years on the road with Clifton Chenier, whose band he joins after Chenier hears him at the Crosstown Blues Festival in 1982. This period shapes his rhythm playing and his approach to performing for dance audiences. He later works with Rockin’ Dopsie and Terrance Simien & the Mallet Playboys, and he also records with Paul Simon during the sessions for Graceland. He sits in with Albert Collins, B.B. King and Lightnin’ Hopkins as well.

Solo recordings

In the early 1990s, after time with the Mallet Playboys, Robertson forms his own band and develops a high-energy blues style aimed at the festival circuit. He records two albums for Atlantic/Code Blue, a label division that later closes: I’m the Man and Here & Now. His debut is released in 1994 and his second album in 1995. Here & Now includes a cover of Tracy Nelson’s song of the same name, and Robertson describes the album as his blues opera.

Musical style

Robertson’s playing is rooted in dance music and the zydeco tradition, but it also includes swamp blues, electric blues and classic rhythm and blues. His live sets are known for their length, rhythm emphasis, slide guitar and extended soloing. His vocals and guitar work are presented as part of the same direct, upbeat blues style.