Opera Singer: God Made Me Whole

“There were so many things that happened along the way of this journey that Morris Robinson could not have manufactured.”  

“God has a plan for all of us and we don't know what it is. You have to be patient and wait on Him and He will guide you is how I see it,” said Morris Robinson.

Mo Isom asked, “How would you finish this sentence? God made me?

“Whole,” said Morris.

“Whole. Why is that?” said Mo.

Morris said, “I've been able to experience a lot of different things in life. I was a full-time athlete.  A lot of kids dream of that, being
able to go to play Division 1 college football and be on the team and hang out with the fellows.  I did that. God gave me a life in the business world. He gave me a family, I'm a dad, you know.  I've gotten to do all these things, but the one thing that He's really blessed me with to kinda bring it all together, is the ability to express music and express myself musically.”

“I had no idea at all, no aspirations, no hopes and dreams, at all of being a professional singer,” said Morris.  “Like that never crossed my mind.  As far as I was concerned I was a ball player who was trying to prove himself on the athletic field, who had this freakish ability to sing like some weird sounded voices that came out my throat.”

“My mother was always in my ear you know you should be singing, never walk away from music, God blessed you with that talent.  She made me join the pastor’s choir, at the African American Church the kid’s choir is always the pastor’s choir, so I was in the pastor’s choir and I didn’t want to be a singer I wanted to be a drummer but I was too young for that.  James Cleveland had a song “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus”. And they would play it on the stereo all the time and I got busted singing it.  I was in my room – (Can’t nobody do me like Jesus) and my mom was like, is that you?  No it wasn’t me, and the next thing I know I’m standing in a chair on Sunday morning because I was so little you couldn’t see me over the bannister and I was singing it and I was on WALK radio so there’s probably a recording of it somewhere.”

Mo asked, “So you go from playing at the Citadel, All- American, NFL aspirations but that becomes a close door, move into sales for a decade?”

Morris responded, “Yep.  My second or third year at 3M I was like Rep of the Year, you know?  I sold, I don't know, a half a million diskettes to the International Monetary Fund in DC
or something like that and, you know, I was nailing it and I was doing great at it, but it was just like, it wasn’t something I had in my spirit.”

“Was there a certain point in that 10 year window where that became a weight? And your heart really became stirring?” said Mo.

Morris said, “Yeah. I just knew I had to be doing something else.  At the time I thought I just need another job. I need to do something else.   I thought maybe if I made more money and had a bigger opportunity. So I took a job with Monsanto in New England.  And it got worse.  I was making twice as much money, and I was miserable.  I could not figure out what I should be doing.”

Morris continued, “And it was while I was there I auditioned for the New England Conservatory of music.”

Mo said, “ But what compelled you to take that audition?”

Morris answered, “What compelled me to take that audition?  I was riding through downtown Boston live and passed right by the New England Conservatory of Music.  I pulled over went in and said, hey I sing a little bit. I got the application filled it out sang the Star Spangled Banner for them and they said have you ever thought about singing opera?  And I said no. Well with a voice like yours you should, So that was the beginning of this journey.”

“Some people think, this guy, does he work hard at this?  Why is it happening for him?  They have no idea how much I rely on the strength and guidance of the Lord.  And to represent Him well.”

Mo asked, “What advice would you give to someone who has the American dream but no peace?”

“I always say that God will reveal His plan for you. And you just have to wait it out. It may seem insurmountable and unbearable, but you stay with what you're doing, and the Lord will present an opportunity for you,” said Morris.