Roby Duke - Can't Stop Runnin'

This is Track #7 from the 1982 Roby Duke album "Not The Same"

The day after Christmas, 2007 Roby Duke suffered a heart attack and went home to be with the Lord. Two days before this he was sharing the stage with his musician son. Many, if not most, in the world of CCM did not know of his passing, nor did many even remember what a wonderful artist they had in their midst for three decades. He was 51 years old. Never did Roby Duke fit the mold of pop star. He did not posses those album cover gracing good looks, he didn’t create music for “today” and he didn’t fit the Nashville scene. Even the rerelease of this great album sported a new cover without his picture and just a painting of a guitar! Though growing up in Mississippi he wrote and performed the music of a Californian wearing an Hawaiian shirt and looking more like a Jimmy Buffet fan that a killer jazz and soul musician and singer. His greatest accomplishment may have been never sounding like he was part of the Nashville machine. In 1980 he signed with Songbird records, a joint effort between Sparrow Records and MCA for artists with a decidedly mainstream sound or potential. Roby Duke’s music was so out-of-place in CCM, with its clear soulful and jazz influence and a cool factor that was through the roof. The album sported a host of who’s who musicians and vocalists including Hadley Hockensmith, Marty Walsh, Harlan Rogers, Keith Edwards, Dan Huff, Alex MacDougall and Rob Watson. How can anyone go wrong with two members of Daniel Amos and nearly the totality of Koinonia? CCM sweetheart Kelly Willard also appears on a great duet. Produced by the legendary Jonathan David Brown, the only artist even close was Bruce Hibbard who also added some songwriting support for the project. Tom Keene’s string arrangements are just flawless. The album also marked the increased involvement of the great Wally Grant, another engineer/producer that deserves a heap of praise for his amazing tenure of work. From songwriting to performance this is nearly a perfect album!

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