Undying passion for playing music
They started a band and once that happened, he simply could not stop
While a countrywide tour is just a dream for most musicians, it became a reality for Robin Shuttleworth…
Born on March 21, 1948, in Ladysmith, Robin attended Keate Street Primary School before his family moved to East London and then Port Shepstone, where he completed his matric at Port Shepstone High.
Having matriculated, he worked on the railways for two years as a unit assistant. He moved back to Ladysmith in the early 60s and became an apprentice at Frame Textiles, where he learned electronics and has been working for 32 years. Robin married the love of his life, Marlene, in 1969 and they became the proud parents of two girls and a boy – Tracey, Andrew and Catherine.
The first time Robin attempted music was in 1960 in Port Shepstone with his friends.
They started a band and once that happened, he simply could not stop! In 1963, when Robin was back in Ladysmith, he and all the other apprentices he worked with started a band called ‘The Odds and Ends’. They soon found themselves travelling around the country with ‘Groep 2’, an Afrikaans duo consisting of Stevie van Kerkin and Ernie Becker.
Robin started off on bass guitar and then moved over to lead guitar, and that stuck with him. The band performed in Palmgrove in Margate and that’s where they received their first contract as professionals.
“Every musician is a role model to me, but back in the day, I think Chuck Berry was everyone’s,” says Robin.
He is currently in a band with two other gentlemen who are brothers and they have performed at the Ladysmith Show, cultural events and weddings… They do not intend stopping any time soon. This band has been together for quite a few years now.
Besides music, Robin’s hobby is electronics.
He has spent most of his life in Ladysmith and says that in five years’ time, he sees himself still in Ladysmith and still with the band, making great music for their audience’s pleasure.
“For all those musicians starting out, don’t give up hope. Practice, practice, practice and never lose the passion for what you do,” advises Robin.
He adds that he lives each day knowing that Jesus is his saviour.
DID YOU KNOW?
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