RJ Ross, a.k.a. Professor RJ Ross, has been performing on stage, professionally, since he was eleven years old. Initially, as a singer, trumpet player and M.C., he led his own bands in the Detroit area, when Detroit was the auto capital, and one of the great music capitals of the world. At 16, RJ wrote and sang lead on a song for his band, The Sixpence, that got substantial radio airplay around The U.S., particularly the Miami area. The record label, Impact Records, flew his band down to Florida to perform at a large concert venue.

After graduating from music school, RJ began to focus on classical and jazz piano as well as composition. He began performing in dance clubs with local black musicians, and was a founding member of Brainstorm. That band became the number one band in the Detroit area, was signed to Clarence Avant’s Tabu Records, and released their legendary song, Lovin’ Is Really My Game, which went to the top of the national Billboard dance charts. The song RJ wrote for Brainstorm, This Must Be Heaven, is considered a soul classic.

RJ then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, and before long was offered the position of in-house keyboardist at the world-famous Fantasy Studios. During his five year stretch at Fantasy, he honed his studio production skills, while working with artists like Huey Lewis, MC Hammer, Jeffrey Osborne, Tupac Shakur as well as many of the top singers and musicians from the Bay Area. Next, RJ opened his own professional recording studio and production company, where he worked with a wide variety of artists, further developing his arranging and writing skills, as well as mastering all aspects of the studio arts, including the world of digital recording and editing.

Two years ago, Professor RJ Ross was inducted into The National Blues Hall Of Fame, and now his songs are being played on radio all over The United States, Europe, England, and Australia. His songs are popular on many internet radio stations as well, including SmoothJazz.com and Pandora. His YouTube Channel is getting thousands of views weekly from every corner of the globe – Brazil, Venezuela, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, and The Middle East, just to name a few.

The Professor is currently embarked on a whole new series of videos, to be featured on this website and his YouTube Channel. The internet and the music video provide a new and very exciting venue for his work. Finally, all the diverse elements of RJ’s music, cultivated and mastered through a rich life as a professional musician, can come together. The songwriting, the singing, the pianistic skill, the stage presence and movement, all coalesce into his totally unique musical art, bringing viewers, from all over the world, into an intimate performance experience.

You can spend a few minutes with RJ in this video interview.