Sir Robin Millar CBE | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robin John Christian Millar |
| Born | 18 December 1951 |
| Origin | Tottenham, London, England |
| Genres | Pop, R&B, rock, Latin, indie, punk, jazz, film music |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, arranger, composer, musician, academic, c-suite advisor, mentor, non-executive director, public speaker, philanthropist |
| Instrument(s) | Keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, drums |
| Years active | 1975–present |
Sir Robin John Christian Millar CBE (born 18 December 1951) is an English record producer, musician and businessman, known variously as 'The Original Smooth Operator', 'The man behind Sade', and 'Golden Ears' by Boy George. He was born in London to an Irish father and West Indian mother, and is blind. He is one of the world's most successful record producers with over 150 gold, silver and platinum discs and 55 million record sales to his credit. His 1984 production of Diamond Life, the debut album by Sade, was named one of the best ten albums of the last 30 years at the 2011 Brit Awards.
He has developed and run a string of businesses in car hire, music recording, artist management and publishing and is currently Head of Creative Services for Arts Media Worldwide and for the Blue Raincoat Chrysalis group of companies.
He has worked as a fundraiser for vulnerable people for 30 years and in 2012 underwent a 12-hour operation to install a bionic retina in his right eye to help research into future treatment for blindness.[citation needed]
He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours[1] and knighted in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to music, people with disabilities, young people and charity.[2]
In November 2020 he was appointed Chair of Scope UK, the national charity representing 14 million UK disabled people. In February 2021 he rode 407 virtual miles on an exercise bike to raise £40,000 for Scope, whose shops were closed down in the pandemic.