The Colorado or Bust Radio Show Tour Posted: Aug 8, 2008

My thanks to all our friends and family who gave us such a warm welcome throughout Colorado. KBUT, KDNK and KRFC .....Thanks for letting me come in and play some new songs and spin some of the songs off the new CDs!

#17 On The Roots Rock Chart Posted: Aug 8, 2008

The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs is still moving up and hanging on!

#25 on The Roots Rock Chart Posted: Jul 15, 2008

The 3rd week of radio and The Rowdy Prairie Dogs are at #25!!!!!! http://www.rootsmusicreport.com/2.0/charts.php?name=altcountry

#36 on the Roots Rock Chart! Posted: Jul 4, 2008

http://www.rootsmusicreport.com/2.0/charts.php?name=altcountry The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs reaches #36 on the Roots rock chart after only one week!

#19 on Euro-Americana Chart! Posted: Jul 3, 2008

After only 1 week of radio promotion "The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs" CD has charted at #19 on the Euro-Americana Chart. http://home.hetnet.nl/~noci48/

June Newsletter Posted: Jun 19, 2008

The Rowdy Prairie Dogs have some great gigs coming up inlcuding..... June 21 - in Waupaca opening for the New Riders of the Purple Sage. July 5 - Riverfront Rendezvous -Stevens Point Fireworks display. July 6 - Summerfest in Milwaukee JUST ADDED - July 13 - Opening for THE BODEANS in Osh Kosh. For more details and other upcoming Robert J. solo shows go to the GIGS page

THE STEEL BRIDGE SONG FEST! Posted: Jun 19, 2008

It was an honor to be at the Steel Bridge Song Festival in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin last weekend. My thanks to pat mAcdonald and everyone who made this wonderful event happen. I got to sing on stage for the finale with Jackson Browne(one of my all time songwriting heroes) along with all the talented musicians and songwriters involved with the Fest. It's going to happen again next year so put the 2nd week of June on your calendars and come to one of the neatest little towns on any of the Great Lakes and enjoy the music. The Rowdy Prairie Dogs played an inspired showcase to a packed house at the Fest and I wound up jamming with Freedy Johnson until way too late or ..way too early as the case may be. YOU GOT TO LOVE THE MUSIC!

THE REVENGE OF THE ROWDY PRAIRIE DOGS Posted: May 22, 2008

- AMERICANA RADIO RELEASE DATE - June 23. PopBomb Records is partnering with Shut Eye Records to promote "The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs" worldwide to Americana Radio! The Radio Campaign will begin going for adds on June 23, 2008 and sent to 320 stations in the U.S., Canada and Europe! www.shuteyerecords.com

Robert J. WINS 6 MAMAs!!!!!! Posted: May 12, 2008

The Madison Area Music Awards last Saturday at The Barrymore Theater will be a night to remember for the rest of my life. Thank you to all the fans and to my music peers who voted for "A Beautiful Blur" and the "Rowdy Prairie Dogs" songs and CDS. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Again I want to thank all the musicians who played on these records and I want to officially apologize to Mike Zirkel and Smart Studios for leaving them out of my special thanks. I will be naming my next born child Mike Zirkel Conaway and my next CD will be titled, The Revenge of Mike Zirkel for the amazing contributions Mike has made to my recorded life. Thank you Mike Zirkel! I also want to thank Kenny Koeppler at The Sound Garden for his contribution to these recordings. And ............The awards are: Rock Album of the Year "A Beautiful Blur" Country/Bluegrass Album of the Year "The Revenge of The Rowdy Prairie Dogs" Country/Bluegrass Song of the Year Loved Like That - The Rowdy Prairie Dogs Folk/Americana Song of the Year Home Movies - The Rowdy Prairie Dogs Pop Song of the Year A Room With A View - Robert J. Male Vocalist of the Year Robert J. Link to Madison Magazine Interview with Robert J. about MAMAs 2008 http://madisonmagazine-liberalarts.blogspot.com

Robert J. Receives 7 Nominations for MAMA Awards! Posted: Apr 8, 2008

Robert J. is nominated for his new PopBomb Records releases, "A Beautiful Blur" and "The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs"! The Nominations are... A Beautiful Blur...Rock Album of the year. The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs...Country/Bluegrass Album of the year. Loved Like That...Country song of the year. A Room With A View... Pop song of the year. Home Movies... Folk/Americana song of the year. Male Vocalist - Robert J. Instrumentalist - Robert J. To vote for your favorite MAMA nominees (And it is an honor to be nominated with such a wonderful pool of Madison area songwriters) Go to www.themamas.org. There will be a $5 donation charge to vote, but your money goes directly to fund kids music programs. Plus, you'll enjoy the music!!

April News/Thoughts! Posted: Apr 8, 2008

Well it's a great ride! A great night at The Brink for my CD release party. (To all of you who were there...Thank you, I had a blast!) A new band that's rocking and an old band that is still one big happy family. Two songs in the movie "Madison" which debuted last weekend at the Wisconsin Film Fest. 7 nominations for MAMA awards for "A Beautiful Blur" and "The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs"!!!!!!! 22 pounds lost! A strong heart. An amazing family! And........a whole new crop of songs that I hope to record and share with you soon! SWEET!

January News! Posted: Jan 17, 2008

Thanks to all of you who have reached out to me over the past months since my heart attack. I feel both amazed and blessed to have such a wonderful family and so many true friends who have offered me so much encouragement through this down time! I am just beginning to feel my energy returning and life getting back to it's typical hectic pace. But, life is different now, or at least I am. The meanings of certain concepts seem in a way, so much more pure now. Things like appreciation, happiness, faith, commitment, love, family, health, humility, fear, hope, tolerance, forgiveness and compassion have filled this broken heart and enabled me to become a healthier, happier, more at peace version of my former self. Life has always been about change and adapting to it. After all, isn't surviving what we the living do? This year my life is rich with simple lessons, blessed with family and friends and open to the possibilities that come to someone who has been given a second chance. Peace and Happiness for a Heart Healthy New Year! Robert J.

Feature Article in the Wisconsin State Journal by Gayle Worland. Posted: Jan 17, 2008

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/entertainment/266837&ntpid=1

Otis Redding Tribute Posted: Dec 6, 2007

For those who couldn't make the Otis Redding Tribute. Here's a link to Storybridge.TV.com with a news report about the event. http://storybridge.tv/episode/030 Special thanks to Katy Sai for doing this report!

Doug Moe Article in the Capital Times Posted: Dec 1, 2007

The front page article by columnist Doug Moe from November 29th. Here's to second chances!!!!!! Musician Gets a Second Chance at Life! http://www.madison.com/tct/archives/index.php?archAction=arch_read&a_from=search&a_file=%2Ftct%2F2007%2F11%2F28%2F0711280327.php&var_search=Search&keyword_field=&pub_code_field=tct&from_date_field=20071128&to_date_field=20071128&var_start_pos=20&var_articles_per_page=10

Health News! Posted: Nov 19, 2007

I thought I should let you know that my Cd Release party on December 8th at The Brink will have to be postponed until sometime in the new year. A little over a week ago, on November 10th, I had a heart attack while raking leaves in my backyard and had to have emergency surgery where they put two stints in my right coronary artery. Because we got to the hospital fast and because of the amazing staff at St. Mary’s, they had me in the operating room within minutes and the damage to my heart muscle looks like it will be minimal. Over the next 6 weeks, I will be undertaking rehab to strengthen my heart and it is going to take some time to get back to full strength. But, hopefully I will be back! I’ve dreamed of this CD release party for the past year while recording my new CDs and I still can’t wait to share these new songs with you. If you are interested, “A Beautiful Blur” and “The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs” will be in stores in the Madison area on November 20th and will also be available here at the record company website....... http://www.popbomb.com/store.htm I want to thank my wife Jill and my family, friends and neighbors who have all helped me in so many ways. Life is a precious thing and everyday I thank God that I’ll have a second chance to live, to watch my kids grow and to make more music! I hope to see you soon, have a wonderful holiday season and remember to take good care of your heart! Peace, Robert J.

New CD's are Available Now!!!! Posted: Oct 29, 2007

"A Beautiful Blur" and "The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs" are in stock and available for your listening enjoyment. They'll be in stores on November 20th but you can order them today at http://www.popbomb.com/store.htm CD RELEASE PARTY at The BRINK in Madison on December 8th at 9:00pm featuring the Rowdy Prairie Dogs and The Crashers!

Check out my new myspace web pages Posted: Sep 20, 2007

http://www.myspace.com/robertjmusic http://www.myspace.com/therowdyprairiedogs

Madison - the Movie Posted: Sep 14, 2007

Here is a link to check out the promo video for the movie "Madison". I had the honor to sing 2 songs for this movie as well as placing "Rewind" from "A Beautiful Blur" in the film. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2033462615

A Beautiful Blur Posted: Sep 7, 2007

It's been a beautiful blur this past year as I have been working on my new Cds! I'm happy to say that I'm climbing out of self-imposed "studio hibernation" and all is on track for a November release. Mixing for "A Beautiful Blur" and "The Rowdy Praire Dogs" has just been completed by Sir Mike Zirkel at Smart Studios and we are set to master the projects with Trevor Sadler next week at Mastermind Productions in Milwaukee. I hope to post a couple of songs on the site soon. For the first time in 25 years I don't have many gigs on the horizon. But I'll have lots to do with promoting these Cd's and handling the business end of PopBomb Records. I do plan on doing some shows throughout the fall and there is talk of putting "the Rowdy Prairie Dogs" together as an actual band. I'll keep you posted!

Spring 2007 Posted: May 29, 2007

Greetings and thanks for coming to my site! The Lucas Cates Band won 3 awards for Best Pop Record, Best Pop Song and Best Pop Artist at the MAMA's(Madison Area Music Awards). It's been an honor to be a part of this young singer/songwriter's music and a real treat to have produced this CD. I'm still working on what has turned into 2 Cd's to be released this fall. The Robert J. record will be called "A Beautiful Blur" and the Americana/Country record will be called "The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs". I can't wait to share these new songs with you. The Moon Gypsies will be at Summerfest this year on the Potawatomi Stage on July 7th at 2pm. Come on down and help us party on this lucky day(7-7-7)!

TAXI INTERVIEW Posted: Jun 5, 2007

Q: Where did you grow up? A: As a child I grew up as my family criss-crossed North America following my Dad's career with the Canadian National Railroad. Q: What made you realize that music was your path? A: I've loved music ever since I can remember. But I think it was in college when I was listening to the old Buffalo Springfield song, "Bluebird", and specifically to the guitar break in the middle of the song when I said, "that's it, I'm going to be a musician!" Q: How would you describe the music that you typically create? A: Americana seems to fit. With a midwestern soul. Q: Who are your biggest musical influences? A: From Elvis and Hank Williams, to Bob Dylan and the Beatles, CSN&Y and Little Feat to Springsteen and everything in between. Also, I would have to say the musicians who I have worked with over the years have influenced me in amazing ways. Q: What makes your music unique? A: It's written from the heart with my own brand of soul. My songs are a result of my life's experiences and reflect a journey taken on the road less traveled. Q: Has there been one particular moment in your musical career that you're most proud of? A: I've had several........ being kissed by Bonnie Raitt! Playing shows with amazing artists like Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, Taj Mahal and Delbert McClinton. Winning the Billboard Songwriting contest. But, the one that stands out as the most humbling moment in my musical career is when I sang "Dock of the Bay" at the dedication of the Otis Redding memorial. Q: What's next for you? A: New Cd's, new songs! New musical ventures including producing other artists. Watching the kids grow! Staying healthy, staying positive and staying true to myself and my family and ............................staying happy!

Winter 2007 Posted: Jan 19, 2007

Thanks for coming to my website and I hope your New year is going great! I've started tracking for a new CD and I'm looking forward to releasing several musical projects this year. The Moon G's are still doing some gigs and I'll be playing with the Lucas Cates Band as well. Speaking of Lucas, here's a press release about The Lucas Cates Band's visit to Cincinnati this past week......... We had a great time! ....................................... The Cincinnati Ballet performs modern dance piece to song by Madison Singer/Songwriter, Lucas Cates. The Lucas Cates Band has just returned from Ohio where the Cincinnati Ballet performed a modern dance piece to Lucas’ song “4everytime” from his debut CD, “Contradictory” on PopBomb Records. The performance was a gift from the city of Cincinnati to the graduating members of their C-change leadership program for young professionals. The evening was attended by over 300 people who were also treated to a short speech by legendary recording artist and now Cincinnati resident, Peter Frampton. The song “4everytime” which has received significant national airplay on College radio and here at home on 105.5 Triple M, is a mixture of spoken word and an infectious sing along chorus. It tells the story of a fairytale/hermit type character and his dream for love. Last September, The Lucas Cates Band showcased at the Midpoint Music Festival in Cinncy where their Cd caught the attention of Brian Frank, an executive from Proctor and Gamble who helped sponsor the prestigious music conference. He put it in the hands of the Cincinnati Ballet’s artistic director, Victoria Morgan and in November, they flew Lucas down to coordinate ideas with Ms. Morgan and choreographer Jay Goodlett, which led to the performance this past Tuesday night.

Fall 2006 Posted: Oct 3, 2006

Hey everyone! Thanks for coming to my site. Fall is here and the "Beautiful Blur" of life keeps on going! We've had an exciting time with the "Lucas Cates" Cd. Over 200 college stations throughout North America have been playing his music. If you haven't heard Lucas' music yet, go to http://www.lucascates.com and check it out. Songs can be listened to or downloaded there; or, you can really support the arts by ordering the CD. Our thanks goes out to Tinderbox Promotions for doing such a great job promoting "Contradictory" to the college market. The Lucas Cates Band had a successful trip to Cincinnati where we played a cool showcase gig for the MIDPOINT MUSIC FESTIVAL. We met a load of very cool industry people and saw some incredible bands! I've just listed all the gigs that I/The Lucas Cated Band/The Moon G.'s have coming up this fall. Check out my Gigs page to find out about all of these musical endeavors. Finally, I'm putting the finishing touches on a new crop of songs that I will be recording this fall and winter. I hope to have something out by the spring. The CD is tentatively called.... "A Beautiful Blur". Thanks, Enjoy the blur!!!!! RJ

Summer 2006 Posted: Aug 28, 2006

Hope you are having a wonderful summer. Life is good for me these days. We at PopBomb Records just released Lucas Cates' debut Cd "Contradictory" to 350 college stations around the country and in our first week we have had 65 stations adding it to their playlist. A great start, even if I do say so myself. The Lucas Cate Band is headed to Cincinnati to be featured at a Showcase at the Midpoint Music Festival in late September and we'll be playing on top of the roof at the Monona Terrace on September 27th, followed by an after work show at the Overature Center on October 19th. I had a lot of gigs in July with The Moon G's and The Lucas Cates Band and some solo shows too. Summerfest was a blast! Playing at the UW memorial Union was another highlight and opening for John Eddie was an honor. I'm happy to say that I am in the pre-production phase of a new CD that I plan to record throughout the fall, to be released in early 2007. I've been writing a whole new crop of songs over the last couple of years and I'm excited to record them for your listening pleasure. Take care and I hope to see you out and about! Don't for get to keep Howling at the Moon!

Here's What's Happening! Posted: May 16, 2006

Welcome again to the website. I haven't had a chance to update this in a while. I've been busy doing PopBomb Records work promoting Lucas Cates new CD, "Contradictory". His song "4everytime" is in regular rotation on 105.5 Triple M and we are about to release it nationally to Triple A radio. http://www.lucascates.com I've been playing a lot of gigs lately. Solo shows, Moon Gypsies shows and The Lucas Cates Band shows. PLEASE, checkout my Gigs page and come out to a show or two! There are some cool gigs coming up including....... THE MOON GYPSIES..... at Christy's Landing for their annual Memorial Day Celebration(May 29th @ 2:00pm), Monona Terrace Concerts on the Rooftop on June 8th and at SUMMERFEST on the HARLEY D Stage(July 3rd @ 2:00pm) The Lucas Cates Band is playing Arts Fair on the Square on July 8th and at the Memorial Terrace at UW Memorial Union on the on July 28th. Have a great Spring and I hope to see you soon!

Robert J. is an International Songwriting Competition Finalist Posted: Feb 1, 2006

Announced today..... Robert J.'s song "Don't Go Away" is in the finals of the 2005 International Songwriting Competition. Selected out of 15,000 entries it is an honor to be included with the other final songs from around the world. "Don't Go Away" is nominated in the AAA/Roots/Americana category. The winners will be announced in March. You can cast a vote for the People's Voice award by going to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/PVWelcome_2005.htm Listen to "Don't Go Away" demo recording by going to the Songs page on this site.

Welcome! Posted: Jan 11, 2006

Happy New Year and welcome to my official website. My thanks to Robert Johnson (the delta blues guy) and, Robert Johnson (the guy from Naples, Florida) who sold me robertj.com for a very resonable price. Sorry to all the other Robert J.'s in the world --- It's my site now!!!!! I've been busy this past year playing with the Moon Gypsies, writing a few songs, running an open mic, building PopBomb Records and spending all my other available time split between producing Lucas Cates debut CD, Contradictory and.......watching the kids grow. It certainly has been a wonderful Blur! Someone once said, "It's all good when your banging out your music on an old box of wood!" So, I'm truly blessed to have family, friends, fellow musicians and business associates like Dave Stratton and Lucas Cates in my life. We're looking forward to an exciting year, launching Lucas Cd and The Lucas Cates Band, playing with the Moon Gypsies, doing some solo shows and for always and forever.......Watching the kids grow! Stay tuned. Until later, Robert J. Check out the new site, you can now buy Mp3 downloads right here from the recordings or other song pages. Very cool!

2005 News Posted: Jan 12, 2006

September 2005 Robert J. wins 2 awards in the Berghoff and Blues Song Contest! Not only did Robert J.'s song "Will It Always Be This Way"(co-written by R.J. Reynolds and Mary Gaines) win first place in the Berghoff and Blues contest, but his Billboard winning song, "A Million Miles Away" placed second. Berghoff & Blues Contest Winners Congratulations to the nine artists selected by Berghoff to be featured on www.berghoffandblues.com ! These artists, chosen for their exceptional blues tunes, will not only be spotlighted and have their songs available for download on the Berghoff & Blues website for the next year, but will also receive a cash prize and software from Broadjam. Go to www.berghoffandblues.com to download the winning songs! October 2005 Robert J. signs a 4 song Publishing deal with L.A. publisher, “Transition Music”. His songs, “A Million Miles Away”(both his version from “Rewind” and The Moon Gypsies version) which was a Billboard Song Contest winner, plus “I Ain't Blue” and “I Will Be Strong” a gospel song from Robert J.'s “Family Tree” CD were picked up. Transition Music has a long history of placing songs in TV and Film from The Sopranos all the way back to Raiders of the Lost Arc and Ghost Busters.