From the text of Keep on Pushing, page 76.
Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was preparing his bid for the presidency, looking as if he would surely be the one chosen to lead his country through the deep water. Like Dr. King, he had grown in favor of withdrawing troops from Vietnam. From his seat on Capitol Hill, he had become a fierce advocate of civil rights and economic justice and the social programs to accompany those ends, supported by a progressive belief within his faith. Following his victory in the California primary election, on June 5, 1968, he too was shot down, two months after the loss of Dr. King.
Has anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he’s gone?
So went the Dick Holler song, “Abraham, Martin and John,” it’s final verse devoted to “Bobby.” Written in response to the 1968 assassinations, it was first recorded by Dion DiMucci; Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Harry Belafonte were also moved to record the song, as were others as time and the years wore on.
In this clip, Smokey Robinson sings and talks a bit about what the song has meant to him, during a 2010 performance at the White House.
Filed under: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harry Belafonte, Keep On Pushing, "Abraham, Dick Holler, Martin and John", Marvin Gaye, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, Smokey Robinson
Denise Sullivan 