Fortunately, he’s feeling better now with renewed energy for life and music.And he’s feeling really good following Saturday night’s Madison Area Music Awards, from which he took home six awards for himself and his rock-country-Americana group The Rowdy Prairie Dogs.
Robert J won Pop Song of the Year, Rock Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year while The Rowdy Prairie Dogs garnered the Country/Bluegrass Song of the Year, Country/Bluegrass Album of the Year and Folk/Americana Song of the Year awards/
The local rocker took some time out earlier this week to talk about his winning night.
You've had a lot of things happen to you over the past year. How were you feeling going into the MAMAs?
Health-wise I've been feeling pretty good. Musically, I was excited to have these new CDs and songs heard by my peers here in Madison.
How well did you think your two albums would do at the awards?
Honestly, I looked at each category that I was nominated in and thought, I could easily not win any of these awards. I thought there were a lot of artists and songs that were deserving of the MAMA.
What was your reaction when you found out you had won an award? What about when you kept winning?
After winning the award at the beginning of the show for the Male Vocalist of the year, I thought, alright, I got one. That’s good enough for me. Then it was really great to win the country awards and when they kept on coming I got more and more overwhelmed. After winning the sixth award of the night, I walked offstage, went downstairs to a dressing room and wept.
What award are you most proud to have won?
I would have to say the songwriting awards. Being a songwriter is what I'm most passionate about.
Given all that you’ve been through lately, how does it feel to receive this recognition?
It feels wonderful! To be given a second chance at life and then to have such a show of support from the Madison Music Community, I feel truly blessed and honored and loved. It is definitely a night I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
What's next for you?
We’ll be releasing The Revenge of the Rowdy Prairie Dogs to Americana Radio (300 stations) in North America and Europe in June. Developing my new band, The RPDs. We’re playing some cool shows including Summerfest, The Steel Bridge Festival, a show with The New Riders of the Purple Sage. And I’ve got the next CD written and ready to go, so hopefully we’ll be back in the studio in the fall. I’m also working on a children’s book/song with Glenn Fuller who did such a fine job illustrating the RPD CD.
For more info on Robert J and The Rowdy Prairie Dogs, visit robertj.com, myspace.com/robertjmusic and myspace.com/therowdyprairiedogs. To find out more about the MAMAs, visit themamas.org.
The following is the full list of MAMA 2008 winners:
Genre Awards
Blues Song of the Year
The Mud Angels
Blues Album of the Year
Westside Andy/Mel Ford Band
Blues Artist of the Year
The Mud Angels
Classical Song of the Year
Ben Johnston-Urey
Classical Album of the Year
Ben Johnston-Urey
Classical Artist of the Year
Randal Harrison
Country/Bluegrass Song of the Year
The Rowdy Prairie Dogs
Country/Bluegrass Album of the Year
The Rowdy Prairie Dogs
Country/Bluegrass Artist of the Year
Spare Time Bluegrass Band
Electronic Song of the Year
The Dorothy Heralds
Electronic Album of the Year
Null Device
Electronic Artist of the Year
Sensuous Enemy
Folk/Americana Song of the Year
The Rowdy Prairie Dogs
Folk/Americana Album of the Year
Dear August
Folk/Americana Artist of the Year
Sharp & Harkins Band
Jazz Song of the Year
Clear Blue Betty
Jazz Album of the Year
Harris Lemberg
Jazz Artist of the Year
Randal Harrison
Pop Song of the Year
Robert J
Pop Album of the Year
Mark Croft
Pop Artist of the Year
Mark Croft
Rock Song of the Year
The Lucas Cates Band
Rock Album of the Year
Robert J
Rock Artist of the Year
Clear Blue Betty
Unique Song of the Year
The Gomers
Unique Album of the Year
The Gomers
Unique Artist of the Year
Know Boundaries
Urban Song of the Year
dumate
Urban Album of the Year
Know Boundaries
Urban Artist of the Year
Felicia Alima
World Song of the Year
JAH Boogie’s Natty Nation
World Album of the Year
JAH Boogie’s Natty Nation
World Artist of the Year
JAH Boogie’s Natty Nation
DJ of the Year
DJ Fusion
Non-Genre Awards
Compilation Album of the Year
The Best of Urban Theatre, Vol. 1
Ensemble Vocalists of the Year
Madison County
Entertainer of the Year
JAH Boogie’s Natty Nation
Female Vocalist of the Year
Laura England
Jessi Lynn
Instrumentalist of the Year
Tracy Jane Comer
Male Vocalist of the Year
Robert J
New Artist of the Year
Blue Beyond
Studio of the Year
DNA Studios
Wish You Were Here Award
Joe Bainbridge
People’s Choice Awards
Cover Band of the Year
The Gomers
Live Music Venue of the Year
The High Noon Saloon
Local Music Radio Station of the Year
WORT
Local Music Record Store of the Year
B-Side Records & CDs
The Exclusive Company
Local Radio Personality of the Year
Lee Rayburn
Youth Awards
Youth Vocalist of the Year
Felicia Alima
Youth Ensemble of the Year
Alton Kelly
Youth Instrumentalist of the Year
Jesse Banks
Student of the Year
Joel Weng
Teacher of the Year
Jim Kyle
Special Awards
Meritorious Achievement Award
John Urban
Michael St. John Lifetime Achievement Award
Richard Davis
Launchpad Awards
Village Idiot
Alton Kelly
Pillbox 49
COMING UP: A few events and performances to check out this week.
Tonight, Strollers Theatre kicks off The Miss Firecracker Contest, a Little Miss Sunshine-esque tale featuring a beauty pageant and zany relatives. Audience members are invited—but not required—to take part in the action. And at Barnes & Noble West, Tom Farley presents his book The Chris Farley Show.
Madison Ballet offers Pure Ballet!, an exploration of the dance form through six original works, Friday and Saturday. Also starting Friday, and continuing through Sunday, the annual Syttende Mai Norwegian festival gets underway in Stoughton.
On Saturday, the Alliant Energy Center becomes a meeting place for Madisonians interested in alternative and natural living with the Alternative Health & Natural Living Expo. And the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra offer a Side-by-Side Concert at Overture Center.
Also, several new art exhibitions open this week: A two person show of ceramics and fiber work by Rachelle Miller and Pat Kroth takes place at Artisan Gallery in Paoli, as do a group show of works on paper and a display of ceramics by Ruth Hansen. All open on Friday. And on Saturday, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art reveals T.L. Solien: Myths and Monsters, a midcareer retrospective of the UW–Madison art professor and internationally acclaimed artist.
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