Bob Robinson knows about music.

“I’m a DJ,” the 59-year-old from Union put it simply. “I’ve been doing it for about 40 years and I love what I do.”

He plays at several places in Union and Spartanburg counties including Shady’s here in Union and The Open Club, Rascals Clubhouse and Shea Dawg’s in Spartanburg. He’s also done gigs in Abbeville and Georgia and will again DJ for Retrofest in February 2010 in Spartanburg.

Robinson even plays for kids at Monarch Elementary from time to time and has been known to DJ at kids’ baseball games.

“They love all the old stuff,” he said about kids. “Today, kids don’t know what they’re missing. I teach them all the old dances and I’ve had parents come up and tell me thank you.”

Music is more than just a career for “Motown Bobby,” however; it’s a part of his life.

If there was a human gene for music, he would have it — it’s in his blood.

“I was just born into it,” Robinson said.

He quite literally was with his father and uncle, for whom he’s named, each selecting the music industry for their career paths. In fact, his uncle Bobby and his father were the first two African Americans to own record shops in New York City.

“I remember my father working in his record shop and I was right there working with him,” Robinson said.

His uncle’s shop was on 125th Street, just a block from The Apollo Theater.

“He would get us free passes to go to any show,” Robinson said. “Back then, the show was only $5 to get in.”

He got to see greats as a youngster like Miles Davis and Ray Charles on The Apollo stage.

Motown was born in Harlem and grew up in New York but each summer his parents would send him to Union to stay with his grandparents — the Robinsons on Meansville Road and his other grandmother who lived on Evans Street in Union.

The rest of the year he was in New York helping out at his father’s record shop whenever he could.

He came back to Union for the last three years of his high school education, graduating from Sims High School in 1969, and then went to the Hampton Institute — now Hampton University — in Virginia to major in music. The young drummer then returned to his hometown of New York and attended Bronx Community College.

Taking a cue from his uncle Bobby who recorded and promoted such artists as The Scarlets — who later would become the Five Satins, The Channels and Gladys Knight, Motown eventually decided the music industry is where he belonged.

In his late 20s he got a job as a studio assistant and then in 1972 he landed his first job as a promoter with Buddha Records. He also continued drumming and later worked for Clive Davis’ Arista Records and then started promoting for Casablanca Records in 1977.

He wanted to work in the R&B department while there, but was instead put in the Rock department as a promoter. He wasn’t too thrilled about the first band he got to work with but, in the end, it worked out.

“Who did they give me to promote?” Robinson said. “Kiss.”

Here he was, a young man in his 30s, toting around these guys with clown makeup on during a Saturday morning. Of course, Robinson didn’t exactly know how big Kiss was at the time until that morning when a large group of their fans encircled the car.

He and Gene Simmons got to know each other well during his time as the band’s promoter.

Robinson got to promote Donna Summer while with Casablanca, receiving a gold record for promoting her song “Love You, Love You Baby.” He also promoted Smokey Robinson — who he still talks to whenever he gets a chance — while at the record label.

Through his years as a promoter, Motown met and worked with several huge artists like Barry Manilow, Ray Parker Jr., Isaac Hayes, Ray Charles, The Temptations, Rod Stewart and even a teenage Jimi Hendrix and his drummer Buddy Miles.

And that’s just naming a few.

But the wear and tear of the promotion side of the industry had already started taking its toll on Robinson who was visiting radio stations and clubs and record shops putting up displays at all hours of the day and night to promote his artists.

“It’s a very hard job,” he said.

So in 1985 he left the music industry for a regular job at Columbia University where he stayed for four years. He met his wife Angie there in 1986.

It was also while at Columbia he accidentally, according to him, got more involved with DJ’ing.

Robinson met a few guys who hosted a Christmas party at the university each year and they asked him if he would DJ one of their galas. It took the one time and the four gentlemen told him he should DJ all the Columbia Christmas parties.

When he and Angie decided to have a family, they wanted moved back south.

“And since my parents were from Union, we came here,” Robinson said.

He first worked for CPE, which he said was great and the people were like family, but left there to pursue a career in radio DJ’ing, first at WBCU and then he was hired to work on Groovin’ 106.3 WGVC in Newberry in 2000. While there he met and worked with Lou Brotis who became not only a good friend but somewhat of a mentor for Robinson.

It was Sunday Gospel with he and Brotis, who he called a “very, very good friend” with a great voice, and from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday it was up to Robinson to play all the oldies from Motown and beyond he had grown up with and many he had worked on.

Motown worked at WGVC for two years and now does his own DJ’ing with his own equipment. His first gig in South Carolina after moving back was at Hickory Nuts — now known as Shady’s — in Union and he packed the house full.

DJ’ing is what he wants to do, growing up seeing DJs play and watching people dance to the music. Motown even has some changes planned for the upcoming year.

“I’m looking forward to having a big year,” Robinson said. “I’ve got some new things that I want to do.”

He feels blessed by the experiences he’s had and is excited about the future, even though it’s just a little quieter than all the bright lights and big stars of his past. But he enjoys reminiscing about his time in the music industry and keeps a scrapbook commemorating his past.

All in all, he says, it’s been a good run up to this point.

“I’ve had a good life,” Motown said. “I’ve touched elbows with some people. I’ve been very blessed. I thank the Man upstairs for blessing me with a good life. Without Him, there would be no me.”