Robby-Lynn

EARLY LIFE AND TODAY 
Robby Lynn Kitterman was born on August 11th, 1965, in Lafayette, Indiana. His hometown Earl Park is located in Richland township, Benton County Indiana. Robby's grandpa Kitterman, his dad, and his dad's brother built houses for a living, they were professional carpenters in the area for many years.

In 1969, Robby's grandpa and grandma Kitterman purchased a hunting and fishing resort name Anchor Inn located in Spring Lake, Minnesota. There they started a new life in the land of 10,000 lakes taking Robby with them after his parents divorced. His dad Jim moved up a year later, and remarried the love of his life, Sharon Nelson. Robby has 10 half-siblings, between his parents, he grew up with only one of his siblings, Hollie A Kitterman. 

Robby discovered music at an early age, his 2nd-grade music teacher introduced Robby to the piano, he was so amazed by the sound that he couldn't wait to tell his grandma. As he shared with her what he experienced at school his grandma had a surprise for him, she went into a closet and pulled out an electric air organ.  This all began his musical journey, he taught himself how to play, and later on his dad introduced him to the guitar, which he also learned to play by ear.

Musical talent comes from Robby's grandmother's side of the Richey family, and there's musical talent on other sides of the family too. When Robby's dad when he was a small boy he squared danced on the WLS Radio Show out of Chicago, and he also danced on the Pee Wee King television show that was based out of Chicago, and in the '60s his dad formed a rock n roll band called the Chantels. 

Robby grew up listening to Dolly Parton, Dottie West, Don Williams, Loretta Lynn, Mel Tillis, David Frizzell & Shelly West, and many more. He would listen to Ralph Emery over the radio at night, and on the weekends he would watch the Grand Ole Opry on TV with his grandparents. Dolly Parton was his biggest musical influence, while there were many others that influenced his style, there was something magic about Dolly's attitude and her perseverance.  He started dreaming and he knew one day he would move to Nashville. 

Robby convinced his little sister Hollie to start singing with him. She was around 6 years old, they became duet partners singing at family gatherings and talent shows. They picked out songs by Loretta and Conway, David Frizzell and Shelly West, and many others. When performing with his little sister, if Robby made a mistake during their performance, his little sister Hollie would look up at him and give him a dirty look, even if she made a mistake she would look at him funny to make it look like it was his fault, and it would generate laughter for those watching. 

In the fall of 1983, Robby made the decision to leave Minnesota, he moved back to Earl Park to live with his aunt and uncle to finish high school. His grandparents had passed away in the summer of 1981, just 17 days apart from one another which devastating. When he returned to his hometown of Earl Park, he learned that there was a new radio station opening up in the old school building, his cousin Randy and his wife Kim were instrumental in getting him a job at WIBN FM 98. It was a crossover radio station that played rock, pop, and country.  Robby had his own time slot to spin records, and talk on the radio as an announcer.   

1987 was the year when Robby made his big leap to Nashville, he managed to reunite with his birth mother a few years prior, and shortly after his move to Music City his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she passed a year later in the fall of 1988. Robby landed a job at the Holiday Inn Vanderbilt when he first came to town. It was the location of where a lot of the country music artists stayed when they would come to town to record.  

Robby's musical aspirations and dreams of being a singer/songwriter in the early years just faded into the background, he did explore songwriting, wrote a few songs, and he even performed the Bluebird Cafe during Monday night open-mic writer's nights in the early '90s. Looking back on it now, he knows that it was not the right time, he didn't have the knowledge, drive, and self-confidence to know how to pursue his dream in music. He traded his dream for music, for a career in the travel and hospitality industry, has had the opportunity to travel all around the world, went back to school continue his education, and in 2017 Robby received his bachelor's degree in business science.

In the late '90s, one of Robby's dreams did come true, he met his musical hero Dolly Parton, not once but twice. Dolly was filming her music video Honky Tonk Songs at Roberts Boot Bar in downtown Nashville. Robby was invited to take part in the video as an extra. He remembers her walking in onto the set, Dolly starts walking towards him to get into her position, he reaches out to grab her hand to help her move over to her spot.  A year later he came across an article in the local paper that read, do you want to be in the movies with Dolly Parton? Lifetime television was making a movie in town based on one of her songs. Robby attended the open audition at the Maxwell House hotel, then a few days later received the call from casting and was offered a stand-in role. One of his favorite memories is when Dolly surprised everyone when she showed up with chicken and dumplings that she had cooked.  

In the summer of 2019 an opportunity came knocking, after returning off an Alaskan cruise with his family, his mom Sharon alerted Robby about a songwriters camp that was coming up in Nashville that summer, it was called Country Music Fantasy Camp, Bob Ekman is the founder and CEO. Without hesitation Robby signed up, he knew this would be the outlet that could jumpstart him writing again. The three-day camp focused on co-writing a song, recording the song in a studio, and singing the song with his team at a local Honky Tonk.  Attending the camp did exactly what he thought it would do, it inspired him to start writing again, and recording his music. 

In August of 2019 after the camp had concluded, Robby was invited by Erin McCaffrey and PT Houston to be one of their next breakout artists.  Houston and Erin own and operate Off The Row Studios in Franklin, Tn.  PT Houston is a seasoned engineer and producer, and his wife is a singer/songwriter and professional photographer. Robby has been writing songs and recording in Off The Row Studio since last fall, and in March of 2020 filmed his first music video for his first single "Old Wooden House" that will be released in May 2020. 

____________________________________________________ 

Reflecting back, I know in my heart that all those years ago it was not the right time or place for me to pursue my dream in music. The detour in my life has prepared me for this moment of where I am today, I know that now.  Our journey in life is meant to unfold like a flower, opening up at different times and at different moments.  "Dreams don't come true by wishing for them, you have to work hard, find your passions, set goals, and you must live it and breath it for it to become a reality."  Never give up! - Robby Lynn