HOWARD HEWETT SHOW - 2/26/08 - The Aqua Lounge, Beverly Hills 90210
Robbi Spencer, a singer/songwriter, dancer, and musician, originally from Dayton, OH began training for a career in entertainment at the early age of three, continuing more formally upon acceptance to the Cincinnati School of Performing and Creative Arts. Robbi majored in vocal music, with a minor in piano, drama, and dance, preparing her for a scholarship opportunity and acceptance into Kent State University Vocal Music Dept. Instead, she opted to enlist in the USAF, with aspirations of joining the Air Force’s musical theatre entertainment group, Tops in Blue. Robbi was accepted into this prestigious entertainment group, but soon left the Air Force after entering the world of beauty pageants, where she reigned as Miss Albuquerque USA and 3rd runner-up in the Miss New Mexico USA pageant. While Miss Albuquerque, she was asked by the Republican Party of New Mexico to perform at major political functions, including Governor Gary E. Johnson’s four inauguration balls in January 1995.
After honorably discharging from the Air Force, Robbi returned to Ohio, where she further pursued her dancing career, as a cheerleader/dancer for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals, the International Basketball League’s (IBL) Cincinnati Stuff, and next being accepted as dancer with the World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Monday Nite Nitro, known as Nitro Girls. Eventually, in pursuit of a career in her first love-music, she ventured to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she joined an international girl band, known as Queenyz. There were four members, originating from Spain, the Philippines, the US, and Canada. After recording a demo, the members gained the attention of Los Angeles based producers, Presidential Campaign who were signed to International superstar Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds. Once arriving in LA, the members soon decided to separate and pursue individual career paths.
From there on, Robbi became her own manger, agent, and PR person, she wrote and co-produced a 13 song compilation, containing an original blend of soul, R&B, salsa, and funk, on which Robbi gave her debut performance on acoustic guitar. To date, Robbi has performed for crowds, both small and large, opened for R&B legend Howard Hewett, performed alongside Dave Hollister and his band House of Soul, and even opened for the Pointer Sisters. Robbi is also fortunate to have studied acoustic guitar under the tutelage of legendary jazz guitarist Phil Upchurch.
Robbi has worked professionally in the entertainment industry for eight years and has had music licensed on such television shows as the CW’s hit show The Game, ABC Family’s Lincoln Heights, and MTV’s Life of Ryan. Additionally, you can hear Robbi’s vocals and writings on the CW’s show, Girlfriends, and she performed backing vocals for Macy Gray on the title track for the CW’s show, Second Time Around (now airing in S. Africa and Canada). Robbi has also toured with Ali Woodson, the 2nd lead singer of the Temptations, as both a background singer and dancer in his Motown review, gaining a multitude of live performance experience.
Coming from a music background, she is not only an accomplished singer/songwriter/musician, but also a producer and audio engineer. Robbi started Arje Music/Robbi Spencer Productions LLC, both independent production and publishing companies, where she now composes and produces for new up-and-coming recording artists, along with licensing to film and TV. As an artist, Robbi independently released her debut CD Speak 2 Me, in the latter part of 2007, to well received reviews and has been featured on such Jazz & R&B/Soul sites such as SoulTracks.com and MilesJazzCafe.com. The video for her single, He’s A Man received airplay on BET’s BET Late, and won The New Music Video Awards (UK). On this project, she not only displayed her talents as a composer/vocalist, but also as a producer and engineer.
Robbi Spencer is now in charge of her projects from top to bottom, handling everything.composition, writing, production, and engineering! To further develop her engineering and production endeavors, Robbi attended and graduated from the Los Angeles Recording School, with a curriculum focus on both music/live-sound production, and film/television post-production. As an engineer, she has had the honor of working as a music editor at Remote Control Productions under the guise of world-renowned film composer, Hans Zimmer, on his impressive sound library. Robbi is currently the audio engineer/music associate producer for Nina Boski (life coach) and her weekly podcast show (Lifebites.com), but hopes to get back to the stage in the very near future as her first love…a performer, because it’s definitely what she was born to do!