Robert Anderson

Robert Anderson (b. Anguilla, Mississippi, March 21, 1919 – d. Hazel Crest, Illinois, June 15, 1995) – Singer, composer, and publisher. After moving to Chicago as a young boy, Robert Anderson became one of the original members of the famous Roberta Martin Singers, a Chicago-based group that became one of the leading Gospel acts in the country. Beginning as a mid-teenager, Anderson sang with the Roberta Martin Singers from 1933 to 1939 and again from 1941 to 1943. During his years off, he embarked on a solo career, proving that he had the makings of a great Gospel baritone. In 1942, he founded the Good Shepherd Music House, a publishing business based in Gary, Indiana. With a knack for composing, Anderson used his business partly to promote his own compositions, such as “Prayer Changes Things,” “Why Should I Worry?” and “Lord, is it I?” From 1947 to 1952, he led a famous group called Robert Anderson and his Gospel Caravan (later called the Caravans under Albertina Walker), which recorded on Miracle Records and United Records. He then formed the Robert Anderson Singers, which had a contract with Apollo Records. From 1955 to 1990, Anderson performed and recorded intermittently as a solo artist. He also led a choir at Chicago’s Hertzell United Methodist Church until his death in 1995.