Corey Robinson Crosses Over

Corey Bernard Robinson 11-21-1971 12-29-2006

Corey was a dear friend to THE PROCESS for many years. While we mourn with his other friends and family, we celebrate his life and the blessing he was in ours.

Remembering an artist with passion and heart
FLINT JOURNAL COLUMN
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITIONFriday, January 05, 2007
By Doug Pullen (Edited)JOURNAL COLUMNIST

Talk to people who knew Corey Robinson, and they'll tell you about his passion and heart.
Robinson, 35, a popular tattoo artist and former SSG Collective vocalist, died of congestive heart failure Dec. 29 at Hurley Medical Center.
People sing praises for Robinson, who died at Hurley Medical Center, nearly three years after a heart transplant.
Though he spent the last two years of his life in Petoskey, Robinson was a Flint product, a local music habitue, former bouncer at the Back Room (now the Loft) and vocalist for the experimental SSG Collective and Albadore Soundsystem. But he made his mark as an in-demand tattoo artist, both on his own and with Consolidated Ink and Steel. He was also a strong advocate for safety in his profession.
"If you didn't know him, he could scare the hell out of you," says Michael Absher, the local club DJ, former public radio jock and SSG frontman who bears two of Robinson's tats, including one on his butt that was applied live on a pirate radio station several years ago.
"He was a burly guy, a big bear of a dude," Absher recalls. "But he was an absolute sweetheart."
Friend and fellow Flint expatriate Johnnie Walker describes Robinson as "a big brother," whom he met "hanging out" at shows at The Lobby and other underground rock spaces in the '90s.
Later, Walker was a groomsman at Robinson's wedding. When Walker and his girlfriend moved to Petoskey a few years back, Robinson saw how good their lives were and decided to join them.
Robinson had a big heart, Walker notes, and it just grew bigger the sicker he got.
"He made friends with some Native Americans here. He'd sit there and have them sing songs and tell them what they were about," says Walker, who is organizing tonight's Flint memorial. "He was trying to learn. He knew his time was coming. He made sure he told me he loved me."
Music used to be a "fun thing" for Robinson earlier, Absher observes. But as his health problems mounted - he had hip replacement surgery last year, and was due for another - the reggae-loving Robinson's growing harmonica skills late in his life suggest it took on a more serious role.
"He had recorded some songs with Michelle (that) were on his computer. They were prophetic almost," Walker says.
A college fund is being set up for Robinson's children, Devon and Sydney.

If you'd like to share your thoughts with friends, families and fans, go to:
http://www.legacy.com/Flint/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=20504733
To hear hear Corey Robinson's Rasta chanting on "Downpressor" go to:
www.myspace.com/albadoremusic