Rob’s musical journey commenced in Ohio in 1966 when his high school rock band recorded and released his song “Bigger Fool.” He continued to compose songs and perform in various venues across Ohio until 1973 when he secured a recording contract with RCA Records. This partnership yielded the release of two singles: “New York City Girl” and “Hello Jekyll, Goodbye Mister Hyde.”
In 1974 renowned rock and roll Hall of Fame and music business legend Don Kirshner recruited Rob as a staff songwriter. During his tenure with Kirshner Publishing, Rob authored the top-ten disco hit “Sinner Man” for Sarah Dash and composed numerous songs for television, including the NBC children’s program “The Kids from C.A.P.E.R.,” Emmy-award-winning producer Norman Lear’s “A Year at the Top,” and the theme songs for Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert and several television pilots.
In 1980, Rob recorded his debut album for RCA Records, titled “Hegel.” The inaugural single, “Tommy, Judy & Me,” garnered the attention of television icon Dick Clark, who extended an invitation for Rob to perform on the popular show “American Bandstand.”
In 1981, Pat Birch, who was hired as the director of the film “Grease 2,” approached Rob with a songwriting request for the film. He responded by composing the witty and cult classic “Do It for Our Country.”
“Just As I Am,” a song originally written and recorded by Rob for Mercury Records in 1982, has garnered significant recognition over the years. It was covered by Air Supply in 1985, which earned it a gold record. The song has been recorded by numerous artists worldwide, including Chinese singer Samantha Lam and Jamaican group L.U.S.T., whose reggae version in 2009 was #1 for 4 weeks on the Jamaican reggae charts and stayed in the top 20 for 29 weeks.
Rob is a multifaceted figure in the music industry. His record label, Red Lips Records has released a number of albums over the years: five Hegel solo albums, albums by country singers Michael Braun and Rowdy McCarran; a “great American songbook” style album by America’s Got Talent winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.; an album of Chinese and English songs by international singer/actress Pan Luoyi, and 6 albums of smooth jazz instrumentals and soft theme music. Rob’s most ambitious project to date an album of original symphonies titled: Four For Orchestra. Most recent releases are the 20 song smooth jazz collection IN THE MOOD FOR ANOTHER IMPRESSION and ZODIAC, 12 smooth jazz songs specifically composed for each sign of the zodiac.
In 2024, Hegel’s illustrious career was honored with his induction into his hometown’s Hall of Fame.
