Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919. Thursday, on his 100th birthday, Major League Baseball began its year-long celebration of the Hall of Fame legend, who famously broke down baseball’s color barrier, the only wall that’s ever really been “immoral.”

Robinson was posthumously conferred the Key to Brooklyn at a special ceremony, with the key presented to his family by Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams.

Among other ceremonies, Robinson’s wife, Rachel, and his daughter, Sharon, joined MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred at the opening of an “In the Dugout with Jackie Robinson” exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York. The showing will feature more than two dozen images of Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers taken for Look magazine, many never before seen.

The year-long celebration will conclude in December, with the opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City.

Jackie Robinson Sets Baseball on Its Ear

Understandably, Robinson’s legacy has traveled far and wide… from the world of art and theatre to books by the dozens and a handful of films. Robinson’s courage, dignity, and fortitude influenced several generations of baseball players from every conceivable background and country of birth.

Lesser known, perhaps, might be the mark Robinson made on music and its makers. Rife, especially now, for foraging, is the treasure trove of songs written and recorded in the last half of the 20th century (and beyond), all produced with the respect and appreciation of Robinson’s diamond exploits embedded lovingly in their grooves.

Robinson’s “Hit Records” That Aren’t In Cooperstown

Two years after the segregation landmark etched by #42, singer Buddy Johnson and legendary jazz master Count Basie recorded 1949’s rollicking “Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?” on Decca Records. In August of its release year, it peaked at #13 on (record industry trade publication) Billboard‘s charts.

“Jackie is a real gone guy,” concludes the song’s writer, Johnson, in a song that also joyously name-drops fellow stars Satchel Paige and Larry Doby, as well as Robinson’s Dodger teammates of the time, Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe.

Buddy Johnson’s original hand-written sheet music

Two months before Johnson’s record, Basie actually released a 78 RPM record on RCA Victor with this arrangement, featuring “Taps” Miller on vocals. Of the two, fans are probably more familiar with this version:

For a bit of sonic contrast, here’s Natalie Cole’s arrangement from 1994 on Elektra Records, featured in Ken Burns’ “Baseball” film documentary:

Photos are plentiful, from 1954, of Natalie’s father, Nat “King” Cole, posing with Jackie Robinson at Chicago’s Wrigley Field when she was just four years old.

2012 saw the release of this racially hopeful “Jackie Robinson” story song by rock group Everclear from their “Invisible Stars” album:

In a gentle children’s recording, folk-pop singer/guitarist and children’s book author Ellis Paul offers this biographical tune, “Jackie Robinson,” from his “The Hero in You” album, his 17th:

Paul’s album also includes songs about civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks and many other heroes presented in a way that will guide little listeners to learn about influential Americans.

Tune + Tune = “42”: Mark Isham, Scoring From Home

2013’s well-received “42” theatrical biopic, written and directed by Brian Helgeland, featured a stirring and majestic soundtrack, composed by Mark Isham. A taste:

“‘There was a sense of real responsibility to do a good job on this,’ Isham told MPAA.org in April 2013. Everyone involved in the film was committed to honoring the late, great Robinson.

“With his widow, Rachel (played in the film by Nicole Beharie), still herself a powerhouse into her 90s, there was added pressure to get it right and honor her as well. (This, of course, is to say nothing of actor Chadwick Boseman’s responsibility playing the man himself.)”

Isham: “I wrote most of the main themes of this film at the piano. In a case like this, where I’m writing more of a traditional film score, I like to grab a piece of paper and pencil and get out of the electronic world and sit at the piano for a number of days.

“We do want a traditional Hollywood score, orchestral, and we’re not going to try to be clever and modernize it, it’s going to be in the grand tradition of Hollywood scoring. Epic. Because it is an epic story.”

“Gotta be bigger than all the hate (just like Jackie Robinson)”–Everclear

More Jackie Robinson on TRS:

Salute to 42: Robinson and the Role of Mexico in the Racial Integration of MLB

Salute to 42: Willie Wells, Rev. Downs, and the Texas Influence on Robinson

Salute to 42: MLB Honors Jackie Robinson