Welcome to Robin Millar's web site

The original 'Smooth Operator' Robin Millar is one of Britain's most successful ever record producers with over 150 gold, silver and platinum discs and 44 No1's to his credit, including Sade's iconic 'Diamond Life' album.

His productions have sold well over 55 million copies, earning the UK over £400 million in foreign income and have won almost every major global music award including Brit and Grammy Awards. In 2010 The Brit Awards Voting Academy nominated 'Diamond Life' as 'one of the best 10 British albums of the last 30 years'.

To date, Robin has sold more records than R.E.M. , The Police, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Oasis, Nirvana, Johnny Cash, Jay-Z or Black Sabbath.

To reflect his musical and campaigning career Robin was awarded a CBE in the 2010 Queen's Birthday Honours. He was inducted last year as a Fellow of the Association of Professional Recording Services with Peter Gabriel. Dubbed 'Golden ears' by Boy George, Robin is the man behind Sade, the producer of the first acid jazz record and of the biggest selling French album of all time. Robin and Danny Boyle are the only British people to have produced an Olympic Games opening ceremony.

He is an accomplished guitarist and has worked with legendary artists including Randy Crawford, Everything But The Girl, Fine Young Cannibals, Big Country, Eric Clapton, Sting and many many others. He is an artist in his own right and recently returned to contemporary dance music with his own brand of jazz-dance. He produced and mixed last summer's official Ibiza dance anthem with U.S. legend Arthur Baker.

Robin also goes out as a DJ / guitarist under the name TOSO playing classic cool grooves from the last 40 years.

Robin has become equally recognised as an academic, a coach and mentor to FTSE business leaders, one of the most charismatic and in-demand keynote speakers and panelists, a major fundraiser and champion for vulnerable people and as a spokesman to the Government for the whole music sector.

In November 2007 he was awarded Honorary Professor status at The University of West London.

He is Hon. Patron of the Music Producers Guild, a member of the Human Genetics Commission Consultative Panel and a Trustee of Creative & Cultural Skills UK.

Robin has owned and run businesses in and out of the music industry for 25 years, including Power Plant, Maison Rouge and Whitfield Street Studios, Rent-A-Ferrari, and Scarlett Group PLC. He has been a visiting professor and lecturer in commercial music for 15 years at The Royal Academy of Music, London College of Music, Surrey University and The University of Modena in Italy. His outstanding work for the world's most oppressed people has involved work as patron of UNHCR Geneva, trustee of The Playing Alive Foundation and a long-time trustee of the Vietnamese Boat Peoples' Appeal and his campaigning concerts and recordings for Oxfam, UNICEF, British Lung Foundation, Namibian Freedom Fighters, Artists Against Apartheid and others have raised millions of pounds. Robin was awarded the 2002 Windrush Award for his work with minorities.

In December last year Robin began a mission for the UN to the 22 poorest regions in the world to teach young disabled people to use professional recording equipment.

Robin has been registered blind since the age of 16 and has had no sight since 1985. His amazing life as a punk guitarist, Ferrari renter, nude model, academic and producer of 'Smooth Operator' and 'The Sweetest Taboo' is still full of adventure, fun and a source of inspiration to others.

On 29 March this year Robin went through a 12 hour operation to insert a bionic retina into his eye trialling a pioneering new idea for future generations. For more details go to the Bionic Retina page on this website.

"I've made and lost many millions, broken all the rules and I've developed a strong and deep understanding of how lucky some of us are. I'm more of a rough diamond than a smooth operator . . . adventure should be real and not imagined."

Robin Millar CBE FAPRS MA

The details above are taken from the Berklee College Of Music Celebrity Scholarship PatronsInformation Archive.

Further Information on Robin's Credits

For a detailed list of Robin's production, musician and engineering credits go to albumcredits.com/Profile/105898 (external website).

Public Speaking

To book Robin for motivational speaking, high level mentoring or just for fun, adventure and anecdotes of his life with the rich, famous and bizarre, contact Kruger Cown - Click here for more info and to see testimonials.

Latest Updates

Thought for May 2013

Would you let a poet drive you to work?

I've touched on this before but it's becoming a burning issue. This is about people who write songs, sing, play instruments, feel things very very deeply, hurt easily, are highly strung, creative, unworldly, brilliant, awkward in their own skin, impractical, gifted, passionate, emotional. Read more ...

New Poem 'Gobble'

My face is a mask I order to say nothing

About the fragile feelings hiding in my soul.

Bionic Retina Blog Update - April 2013

It’s quarter to three. There’s no-one in the place ‘cept you and me. so set ‘em up Joe. Let’s have another drink before you go…and if you could add a couple of ibuprofen, a couple of Trammadol and a couple of Codidramol to the cocktail that would be appreciated. Click here to read more...

Robin's CV updated - February 2013

Click here to read more...

A Hundred Thousand Tears

This was co-written by the wonderful Eran James and me. Eran singing, yours truly piano and synth plus backup vocals. All recorded and mixed by me at my place. It concerns the dispossessed in refugee camps and is directed at those who either overtly or obliquely caused the situation to arise but appear not to take responsibility.
Click here to listen.

Stop Press December 2012

Gerry Dale and Robin Millar’s extraordinary brilliant Snap Dragon Tripper Professional folding self-tuning electric guitar! For more details click here.
Watch the 'Introduction to the Snap Dragon Professional Tripper' video below.

DJ work

To hear a sample of TOSO's unique classic cool DJ set and Robin's live guitar visit http://snd.sc/oEW65a