Right Place, Right Sound

Robert Bradley is now living a dream that often seemed impossible during the 15 years he spent traveling the country by bus, stopping just long enough in town after town to play for change in depots, street corners and city parks.

“To be a professional singer was a dream I’ve had since I was 22, and I had just about given it up,” the 50-year-old singer and songwriter said in a recent phone interview. “Now, people are writing about me, watching me on TV. . . . I’m recording and touring all the time.

“It’s a blessing,” he continues, “and the best part is meeting fans after the shows. A couple one night in Indianapolis told me that one of my songs, ‘You & Me,’ was going to be their wedding song. Man, you can’t find no better compliment than that.”

What made the difference was landing on the right corner at the right time.

That street was in Detroit, and it was near enough that young rock musicians Andrew and Michael Nehra could hear Bradley’s voice through their open studio window.

Guitarist Michael and bassist Andrew, both in their 20s and former members of the rock band Second Self, were instantly drawn to Bradley’s soulful, sandpaper singing.

The Nehras, who grew up listening to ‘60s- and ‘70s-era Motown, were convinced the Alabama-born free spirit could supply the kind of grit they wanted in their next band.

That led to the birth of Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise, a quintet that now also features drummer Jeff Fowlkes and keyboardist Tim Diaz. The group performs Saturday at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano.

“We initially did some acoustic recordings with Robert . . . just to see where it would lead and if his style would be cohesive with ours,” recalled Andrew by phone from an Atlanta tour stop. “We knew there was something there, and that day--sure enough--it was instantly magical. We’re different, but we share some of the same influences, like Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield. We are more rock-oriented, and he leads us in a more classic direction that we’re happy to take.”

After three years honing its sound, the group was signed by RCA and put out its debut album, which sold slowly until one song, “Once Upon a Time,” became a radio and MTV hit.

The soulful ballad that covers subjects including Marvin Gaye, hot pants, good sex, the Vietnam War and Martin Luther King Jr., helped “Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise” go on to sell 80,000 units, according to SoundScan.

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The band’s new “Time to Discover” came out in March and is more polished and precise, yet still earthy and funky. The CD’s songs, mostly co-written by the Nehras and Bradley, range from the string-accented “Mr. Tony” and gospel-infused “Gambler” to “Tramp 2,” a song produced and co-written by the Nehras longtime pal Kid Rock.

For Bradley, however, the shift from busking solo to being in a band hasn’t been easy.

“I was used to doing what I wanted whenever I wanted to,” Bradley says. “If I wanted to make $20 busking and go home, that’s what I’d do. But in a group, you always got to be here, got to be there. You lose a part of yourself . . . it’s a trip sometimes.

“‘All I know,” he adds, “is that when I go out on stage, it’s all worth it. There’s an energy that this group creates that you just can’t get working alone.”

In some respects, being part of a collective takes him back to his youth. He grew up as one of 10 kids on a 500-acre farm in Evergreen, Ala., where his family raised hogs, cows, chickens, corn and cotton. Born blind, he attended the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega, where he learned to play piano and read music.

When he was a teen, the family moved to Detroit, where Bradley fell in love with the voices of Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye, Hank Williams, Otis Redding, Jimmy Reed, Sam Cooke and Elvis over the radio. Although he could play piano, he was never interested in being an instrumentalist. It was singing that excited Bradley the most.

“I just loved the different character and tone you’d hear from singer to singer,” he said. “Is any voice sweeter than Nat King Cole’s? And what’s more real than the ache in Hank Williams’ voice?”

Bradley also relished hearing records by Elvis, country singer Jimmie Rodgers and all the great Motown artists on a single radio station.

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While he laments contemporary radio’s narrowly defined formats, he remains appreciative of his good fortune. And even though he now can afford a house--he just bought one in Saginaw, Mich.--Bradley hasn’t forgotten his busking days, which he recalls fondly.

“I just remember how successful I felt once I got the day’s first quarter while singing out in the streets,” he said. “You know why? Because I just got something that I didn’t have [before].

“Plus,” he says, “because I’m blind, people would often act anonymous when talkin’ to me. They’d tell me stories about their struggles with dope or last night’s fight with their girlfriend--all about their dreams and dark secrets. Heck, I could have charged them for psychotherapy.”

Bradley was impressed by a certain code of honor that existed on the streets.

“I really believe that 99.9% of the people in this world are good, and that’s what’ll get you through the day,” he concludes. “These cats would borrow some money from my kitty, but they always brought it back in a day or two.”

* Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise, Madcap Otis and Aaron T. & the Movement play Saturday at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 8 p.m. $13.50-$15.50. (949) 496-8930.