Singer Robert John Has Passed Away At 79

Robert John, best known for his 1979 No. 1 hit “Sad Eyes,” has passed away at the age of 79. His son, Michael Pedrick, confirmed the news to Rolling Stone, stating that John died on Monday while still recovering from a stroke he suffered years ago.

Though most remember him for his chart-topping ballad, John’s music career spanned decades, beginning in the late 1950s and evolving through different musical styles.

From Doo-Wop Beginnings to Pop Stardom

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 3, 1946, John John Pedrick began his musical career at a young age. His debut song, “White Bucks and Saddle Shoes,” penned by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, was recorded when he was just 12 years old. In 1958, the song, when recorded as Bobby Pedrick, Jr., peaked at No. 74 on the charts.

Bobby & the Consoles, a doo-wop group he headed in the early 1960s, never achieved a big hit. He began performing under the stage name Robert John in 1968, and his song “If You Don’t Want My Love,” which peaked at No. 49, brought him some moderate success.

When his rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972 and remained there for three weeks, it was his big break. This song included his trademark falsetto, which eventually played a major role in “Sad Eyes.”

The Rise of “Sad Eyes”

“Sad Eyes” entered the Hot 100 on May 19, 1979, featuring John’s soaring vocals. After 20 weeks, on October 6, it finally reached No. 1, dethroning The Knack’s “My Sharona,” which had held the top spot for six weeks. At the time, “Sad Eyes” tied Nick Gilder’s “Hot Child in the City” for the longest climb to No. 1.

The song earned John a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance and helped him land five more minor hits in the years that followed. Looking back on his success, he once told Rolling Stone:

“I look at the charts and see my name, but I still have trouble believing it’s really me. I didn’t think the song would be the first single from the album. It’s a ballad, and I thought the company was crazy to release it.”

Later Years and Lasting Legacy

Following “Sad Eyes,” John released several more singles, though none reached the same level of success. His 1979 follow-up, “Only Time,” failed to crack the Top 100, but “Lonely Eyes” nearly made the Top 40 later that year. His last charting songs—”Hey There Lonely Girl,” “Sherry,” and “Bread and Butter”—were all covers, with the last one peaking at No. 68 in 1983 under Motown Records.

In the decades that followed, John performed sporadically and spent his later years living in Las Vegas with his family. Though he never repeated the success of “Sad Eyes,” his music remains a cherished part of pop history, and his smooth, falsetto-driven sound still resonates with fans today.