MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Jermaine Jackson. They’re all great performers and singers, and one local man has gotten to sing along side all of them.

Robert Robinson also opened one of Prince’s birthdays and was a featured vocalist with pianist Lorie Line, but he never saw singing as a career. That’s what makes Robert this week’s Minnesotan to Meet.

From popular holiday jingles to gospel music, Robert Robinson can belt out a tune. He hopes his voice gets into the heart of a person.

“I’ve heard a lot of other people describe it as different things, thunder and angels,” said Robertson.

As Robert says, his voice is guided by God. He doesn’t read music.

“I’ve never had lessons,” said Robertson.

But since he was a child, he has always been a singer.

“It started at church, my father was a pastor of a small congregation on the north side of Minneapolis,” Robertson said.

“He is Risen Church of God” is still at the corner at 16th and Russell.

“I liked to sing, I loved to sing, but I didn’t think I would be anything big or anything,” said Robertson.

He actually attended the Minnesota School of Business to be a court reporter.

“I ended up going into data processing, computers and I stuck with that for a number of years,” said Robertson.

It wasn’t until his late 20s that Robert got calls to sing professionally.

“It really hit me that maybe I could do this,” said Robertson. “It took me awhile to get my mom and dad on board.”

Once they were, the gigs rolled in. He was performing with artists like Kenny Loggins and the Sounds of Blackness.

“I’ve performed for the Billy Graham crusade which I think was a real blessing,” said Robertson.

He also played Prince’s birthday party and got a chance to open for Aretha Franklin.

“When we walked in, she came right over to me and said, ‘You’re my singing boy,’ and she grabbed me and said, ‘I’m taking pictures with you,’ it was so cool,” said Robertson.

Through all the success did come some setbacks.

“A couple of years ago, I had a little bit of a stroke, light, very light,” said Robertson. “I had gotten pretty obese and my knees were getting pretty horrible.”

Robert hired a trainer and lost more than 50 pounds, he then underwent bariatric surgery last year.

“Since then, I’ve lost another 124 pounds so altogether I’m down 194,” said Robertson.

He said he hopes to inspire others to take control of their lives.

“I did this because, I was given a gift in this world,” said Robert. “I want to live out everything I was created to do.”

For Robert, that’s continuing to take on new projects. Whether it’s Christmas concerts at the Dakota Jazz Club, singing at church or using his voice to prop others up at homeless shelters and jails.

“People need what we have to give, what we have to share, there’s so much love and power and peace in music to lift people and take them to another place,” said Robinson.

Friday, Robert will perform at Peace United Church of Christ in Rochester from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. You can also catch him in Stilwater on Sunday at St. Andrews Lutheran Church at 7 p.m.

Besides singing, Robert’s passions are spending time with his eight god kids, fishing and seeing new movies.

Click here to visit his Facebook page, which also includes his concert schedule.