Rob’s early years consisted of learning piano at age 8, turning to drums at age 11. Rob continued to play drums at his local church, high school orchestra and marching band, and later in college. His true passion was writing music. He picked up the acoustic guitar at age 14, self-taught, and began writing his first songs. He’s continued to write music and perform on occasion into adulthood. By the age of 21, Rob attended a Christian College and graduated with a Theology degree. Rob described this experience, “I lost my religion, but kept my faith."
Rob continued to hone his songwriting, towards creating relatable, “human” lyrical content while maintaining honest integrity. “Being human can often be grimy. I want to help channel open honest dialogue through my music. After serving during “Desert Storm”, he returned to civilian life in Seattle. It was difficult for him to adjust. Rob’s songwriting continued, where he performed for local parties in the Seattle area.
“Songwriting became my outlet to break free. I started ‘Dining with Ghosts’ again” and would play for whomever would listen. Rob began taking his vocals more seriously, enlisting one of the most unrivaled vocal coaches in Seattle, the late Maestro David Kyle. Rob was familiar with Maestro Kyle's resume’. This included amazing artists to include Geoff Tate of Queensryche, Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, and Ann Wilson of Heart. After spending some time in vocal training, Shameless Rob emerged with a greater sense of confidence, vocal tone, pitch and range.
Rob later formed a band project in 2012, recording and performing around the Seattle area. Shameless Rob performed rock with a “bluesy” edge at local festivals and venues around Seattle and Portland including the Skylark Cafe, Studio 7, Alibi Room, Murphy’s Pub, Inner Chapters, Rooney’s Pub, New Orleans (Pioneer Square), Diablo Coffee (Queen Anne), and RAWKSTOCK VI & VII Music Festival (La Conner, WA). Also, he made impromptu stops in the Portland area playing the Sundown Pub, and St. James Irish Pub.
Rob’s project took him to Butter Sound Recording Studios in Everett, WA. Shameless Rob’s first project at Butter Sound consisted of six tracks; Breathe, Whiskey River Blues (Morrison Blues), Dining with Ghosts, Stay, Shame on You and Your Crazy. Rob was accompanied by some amazing players. In July 2012, Shameless Rob released his first single, “Whiskey River Blues.” This song received US and International airplay. Rob had his first-ever two-hour radio interview by a UK radio station, The Cat. Once again, life took over with the loss of family members, getting engaged, custody issues, and experiencing the loss of one of his best friends to suicide.
The “band” project soon fell to the wayside. There was a significant amount of work to be done on previously recorded tracks, so Rob continued to spend time at Butter Sound Studios on his own, laying down multiple acoustic and electric guitar tracks, organ tracks, background harmonies, mixing and eventually mastering his album, “Between the Lines.” His first album was later released on Rob’s birthday, July 3rd, 2019. Maybe one of the best ways to describe Shameless Rob’s first album is having, "Elements of heavy percussive rhythm, with an intimate pulse of heavy rock guitar landings, inspires and captures uplifting movements towards freedom through thoughtful lyrical visuals." Rob is often asked to describe the origin of, “Shameless Rob.” It was based on a time in Rob’s life when had lost nearly everything.
After his divorce in 2005, he lost his home, family member support, friends, often having an estranged relationship with his kids, “drowning” in debt, and “all I got from the divorce was a "piece of crap Minivan." What I did have was my faith. The culture where I worked, coupled with a small handful of ‘Angels’ along the way, my faith in Lord Jesus, a great counselor, lovers and friends who literally gave me the shirt off their back, and taught me how to love again. They inspired me to write such lyrics as, ‘Sometimes I want to be free, to love you, the way I want you to love me.’ I think we need to hold out for those who want to understand us, for those who want to come alongside us, those relationships willing to really get us! These deeper connections come out of the ‘clay,’ thousands of generations before us who struggled in the gritty, painful side of things and survived. I learned that there was ‘no shame in love.’ I see things differently now. Where there was unforgiveness and judgment, there’s now understanding and acceptance.” I think it’s amazing how far one act of kindness towards another can go…it’s up to us to change our family trees”
He was later engaged onstage with the band, “Journey” in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, and remarried in 2015 to his “forever” now wife, Tiffany, and adopted her amazing son. He started Shameless Rob Productions, creating original music and video content in Houston, Texas.