Robert “Sully” Sullivan may not be the oldest singer to ever release a debut album, although — at 61 — he ranks in the upper echelon of late musical bloomers.
“My stepbrother, Tirell Willis, is Black and my dad brought me up listening to Otis Redding,” said Sully, who previously was the leader of Sully & The Blue-Eyed Soul Band and the reggae-inspired Sully & The Souljahs. Sully is shown with guitarist Anthony Cullins and singer Rebecca Jade, who guest on the debut album by The Sully Band and will perform with the group Thursday at the Belly Up.“I think a big piece of this is that I’m the worst musician in my band, by far,” said Sulley, whose album is being released by Belly Up Records and nationally distributed by Blue Élan.
“Chris took me on a really deep dive,” said Sully, who admits he was unfamiliar with most of the songs on his album before Goldsmith played them for him. Sully, as Robert Sullivan is known professionally, got his start in San Diego musical theater productions as a kid.A Chula Vista native, Sully grew up in South Bay, University City and the Mount Helix area. When he was in junior high, he and his stepbrother began playing guitars and harmonizing on songs by James Taylor, Seals & Crofts, and other favorites of the day.
When his dream of becoming the next James Taylor failed to materialize, Sully discovered he had a knack for entrepreneurship. After dabbling in publishing in Los Angeles, he moved back to San Diego, blossomed as a financial investment adviser and became a fixture on local radio and TV.