“Well, people like to label it as blues or gospel, but to me, it’s just the truth. It doesn’t matter what genre it is, as long as it is the truth, because that is what people want to hear. It has to be real.”

Robert Finley: Singing The Truth

Robert Finley is one of the most authentic representatives of modern American blues and soul, whose story proves that art knows no age. Born in 1954 in Winnsboro, Louisiana, he grew up in a religious family of sharecroppers and bought his first guitar at the age of 11, playing the blues in secret because his father considered the genre "the devil's music." After serving in the US military—where he led an army soul and R&B band in Europe—he returned to the United States and worked for decades as a carpenter, putting music on the back burner. The major turning point in his life came when he was diagnosed with glaucoma and lost his sight, a fact that forced him to stop carpentry and turn to street busking to survive. It was there that the Music Maker Foundation discovered him, and in 2016, at the age of 62, he released his debut album, Age Don't Mean a Thing. This release caught the attention of Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, who became his producer at Easy Eye Sound, guiding him through great releases such as Goin' Platinum!, Sharecropper's Son, and Hallelujah! Don't Let The Devil Fool Ya.

(Robert Finley, Thrill Blues Festival 2026, Trilj Croatia / Photo by Saša Tadinac)

The great blues and soul artist Robert Finley shares his personal philosophy on art and life. Despite severe hardships —from his childhood in a family of sharecroppers to losing his sight to glaucoma, which forced him to become a street busker— Finley proves that creativity knows no age, having made his recording debut at 62. For him, 'Black American Music' is not just a genre, but an authentic way of life rooted in daily struggle and reality. Rejecting labels and fabricated stories, Finley emphasizes that the only true value in music is honesty, as it is the only thing that allows people to truly connect with his songs.

Interview by Michael Limnios                           Photos © by Saša Tadinac

Special Thanks: Robert Finley, Christy Johnson, Boris Hrepić Hrepa

What does ‘Black American music’ mean to you?

Robert Finley: To me, it is a way of life. I grew up on it. I mostly sing about reality and things that people deal with on a day-to-day basis; I don’t believe in fantasizing or making up stories. If you sing about real life, people can relate to what you are talking about. Those who know the struggle will know if you are telling the truth, because so many people grew up during those times. You need to keep it real. When you keep it real, it’s not a fantasy, and people recognize that.

To me, music is also a way of preserving history. Kids don’t read books or study history anymore. Anything they want to know now, they just pick up their phone and ask Siri, so they feel there is no reason to read anything. The only thing Siri doesn’t do is sing to you.

So, what are the lines that connect the legacy of gospel, soul, and blues music?

Robert Finley: Well, people like to label it as blues or gospel, but to me, it’s just the truth. It doesn’t matter what genre it is, as long as it is the truth, because that is what people want to hear. It has to be real.

Naturally, if you are doing gospel, there is no need to fantasize because the Bible is already written. People already know the word, and they know if you are telling the truth. I don’t see a difference between gospel and the blues, as long as what you are saying is true. People will always label it, but I call my music "gumbo" because you get a little bit of everything in it: you get the gospel, the blues, the rock and roll, and, naturally, the Southern soul.

If you keep it real, they are going to call it whatever they want to call it. But the fact remains: if it’s the truth, everyone can relate to it, so it makes things easy. If you lie, you have to tell a couple more lies just to make the first one stick. But if you just straight out tell the truth, there is no need for that. Anytime someone questions you, your answer will be exactly the same, because the truth is never going to change.

“To me, it is a way of life. I grew up on it. I mostly sing about reality and things that people deal with on a day-to-day basis; I don’t believe in fantasizing or making up stories. If you sing about real life, people can relate to what you are talking about. Those who know the struggle will know if you are telling the truth, because so many people grew up during those times. You need to keep it real. When you keep it real, it’s not a fantasy, and people recognize that.” (Robert Finley with his daughter Christy Johnson, Thrill Blues Festival 2026, Trilj Croatia / Photo by Saša Tadinac)

Too many experiences in your life, too many experiences in the music. What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience?

Robert Finley: I learned a lot from artists like Ray Charles. He was the closest to doing what I do, moving from gospel to the blues. Even though he was heavily criticized for it, he always stood his ground. I always admired the way he stood alone, and eventually, people accepted his music for what it was.

Elvis Presley was another great influence. I loved him. As a kid, I remember watching all the girls running after him while he was running and hiding from them. I used to say, "Well, I’m going to do that one day, but I don't want to run from the girls—I’m going to let them catch me and see what they do!"

People often ask me about starting my career at my age, because I actually began international touring in my 60s, when I was 63 years old. I was a carpenter by trade. When my eyesight failed and I couldn't read the tape measure accurately anymore—I couldn't tell the difference between a three and an eight because everything looked blurry—I had my little pity party, just like anyone else would.

But then, reality hit me: there are other things you can do. So, I went back to my music. I bought my first guitar when I was 10 years old. I wasn't always good at it, but I was determined. I always say that a winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Whatever you are doing, you have to believe in it. You are never too young to dream, and you are never too old for that dream to come true.

Louisiana... what does Louisiana mean to you?

Robert Finley: Well, those are my roots. I grew up as a sharecropper's son, and I can tell you this: a sharecropper's son never got their fair share. We were always shortchanged. But it taught me a way of life. I went from the cotton fields to Beverly Hills, and now I travel around the world because I didn't give up. Winners don't quit, and quitters don't win.

“Happiness to me is getting joy from looking at the expressions on people's faces. The thing is, if you can get thousands of people on one accord—regardless of their differences—and they put it all aside, even if it's just for one hour, then all of these people can dance and party together. You are bringing joy to people's lives.” (Robert Finley with his daughter Christy Johnson / Photo by Saša Tadinac)

How can we keep soul and blues music alive for the new generation?

Robert Finley: I don't think it'll ever go away because, like I said, the blues is the truth, and the truth won't change. I have grandkids who are doing their own thing—they call them "young men with old souls"—but they sing the same style of blues that I do. They are just 22 years old, so I guess it’s in their genes.

Now, my dad didn't allow us to listen to the blues on the radio; he said it was the devil's music. But as I grew up, I thought, why should the devil have all the good stuff? Everything that's good can't belong to the devil, because his job is only to steal, kill, and destroy. The blues is just a feeling rooted in reality. In fact, I think the devil probably has the blues himself because he can't win!

I don't see the blues ever going away because people will always have problems. As long as things don't go your way, that is the blues. When you walk outside and find your car has a flat tire, that’s a sign of the blues; you have to change your plans, take the time, and fix it or call someone to do it. You can't stop mishaps from happening. As long as there are problems in people's lives, there will always be the blues.

A lot of times, people have the blues in their soul but they don't know what it is or what to call it. The blues comes naturally. Even a preacher gets the blues, whether he knows it or not. It comes into everyone's life, and people just have different ways of dealing with it. Everyone experiences the blues. It’s just like a raindrop. It doesn't matter what your nationality, race, or preference is—if you step outside when it's raining, you're going to get wet.

I made a joke one time that I could walk on water, and people thought, "This guy has got to be crazy!" But you can walk on water; you just have to do it at a certain time of year. I can't walk on water in the summertime, but if you wait until the water is frozen, anybody can do it. If you can walk on ice, you are walking on water.

Sometimes I sound like a prophet or a psycho when I tell people things, but you have to hear the whole story to understand. It's not just about what you do, it's about how and when you do it. So if I just tell them, "Yeah, I can walk on water," they’ll say I'm crazy. But there is a season for everything. This isn't the season to walk on water, but come January or February, I just might step out onto it.

You’ve got to be a believer. You’ve got to believe in something, or you'll fall for anything.

What is happiness for Robert? What do you think is the key to a life well lived?

Robert Finley: Happiness to me is getting joy from looking at the expressions on people's faces. The thing is, if you can get thousands of people on one accord—regardless of their differences—and they put it all aside, even if it's just for one hour, then all of these people can dance and party together. You are bringing joy to people's lives.

After the show, I always like to go out and stay focused, because sometimes people get arrogant or start to think they're better than everyone else. When people sense that, nobody wants to be around them. You have to stay humble and stay focused. I know what my job is. Without the people, the audience, and the fans, I'm lost. I need them in order to make my career successful, so I always take the time to thank the audience.

“Well, those are my roots. I grew up as a sharecropper's son, and I can tell you this: a sharecropper's son never got their fair share. We were always shortchanged. But it taught me a way of life. I went from the cotton fields to Beverly Hills, and now I travel around the world because I didn't give up. Winners don't quit, and quitters don't win.“ (Robert Finley with his daughter Christy Johnson / Photo by Saša Tadinac)

You don't just sing the blues, you are the blues…

Robert Finley: I don't just sing it, I live it. It doesn't matter how good of a voice you have if you're singing something that doesn't make sense. It's a blessing to be gifted with a voice, but if you can get the world to listen, you need to tell them something that's going to benefit them in life.

For instance, I sing a song called "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely." It makes people realize that if their granny is in a nursing home and they are so busy living their own lives that they don't have time to visit, they should at least get on the phone. Call them, or call the front desk to check on them. It does them so much good to say, "Hey, my nephew called me last week," because they don’t have much else to do.

The point is, all of us are going to get old one day; the only reason you wouldn't get old is if you die young. I would love to see nursing facilities become places that everyone looks forward to getting old enough to go to, rather than places where you feel like you're serving a life sentence for a crime you didn't commit. It doesn't matter if you're in a nursing facility or in jail—if nobody comes to visit you, you are still completely alone.

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