Robert Randolph On This Year’s “Juneteenth Unityfest,” Future Recording Plans, Jim Hendrix, Meeting Eddie Van Halen & More
The Robert Randolph Foundation is the brainchild of celebrated GRAMMY-nominated African-American artist Robert Randolph, who Rolling Stone has called one of the 100 best guitarists of all-time. As a man with a long history of community involvement, Randolph has remained passionately committed to programs and initiatives focused on family support and development. This passion inspired him to create this foundation as a skill development platform for youth from all walks of life to gain knowledge that can transform their lives regardless of their cultural, social, or racial backgrounds. Through the power of community, education, music and arts, the Robert Randolph Foundation is actively-creating better possibilities for the brighter futures of many.
Founded in 2021, Juneteenth Unityfest is an annual event presented by the Robert Randolph Foundation, as scheduled to take place on June 19, 2021. Juneteenth Unityfest will serve as a national platform for a coalition of charitable and grassroots organizations to amplify their missions and bolster support for their work in advancing national unity. Besides Randolph himself, its star-studded lineup includes Earth, Wind & Fire, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Darius Rucker, Dave Matthews & Carter Beauford, Black Pumas, Aloe Blacc, Keb’ Mo’, Bebe Winans, Khruangbin, Phony Ppl, Michael Franti, Judith Hill, Jimmie Allen, Korean Soul, The Soul Rebels,Greg Phillinganes, India Arie, Ledisi, Ms. Opal Lee, Craig Robinson, Adesola Osakalumi, Deesha Dyer, Gail Devers, Jason Wright, Krystal Mackie, Zina Garrison, LeVar Burton, and Lynn Nottage. In addition, Unityfest will include performances from Jimi Hendrix’s historic 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival appearance, which saw Hendrix play to the biggest crowd of his career amid civil rights unrest and the Vietnam War’s unrelenting toll; Experience Hendrix L.L.C. has licensed this footage so that the late legend could be part of this special celebration.
On June 15, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Robert Randolph via Zoom, as embedded below. Besides Juneteenth Unityfest and Juneteenth itself, we also spoke about his future recording plans, whether he was able to do much writing while quarantined last year, whether he ever got to meet Eddie Van Halen, working with the Experience Hendrix team, and plenty more. Additional information on Randolph and Juneteenth Unityfest can be found here, here and here.
