About
Rob Stoner is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for his role as musical director for three Bob Dylan tours as well as his contributions to many hit albums, including Bob Dylan's "Desire" and Don McLean's "American Pie." He has worked with an array of prominent artists. He continues to perform as a solo act, coaches professional musicians and teaches online.
Stoner joined the musicians union at age 15, working as a singer-guitarist and performing standards from the Great American Songbook at social events. While still attending college, Stoner began working as a session musician for artists including Don McLean, Pete Seeger, Tim Hardin and others, and was featured as a singer and instrumentalist on many albums in all genres.
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In 1973 he was signed to CBS Records as a country singer and changed his name from Rothstein to Stoner. The name Stoner derives from Rothstein, which means "red stone" in German. Bob Dylan heard Stoner performing in an LA club in 1974 and soon hired him as his bandleader, harmony singer and bassist for the Rolling Thunder Revue tours, and 1978 Far East tour. Stoner resumed his solo career after that tour, and released critically acclaimed solo albums.
Stoner's original compositions have been recorded by Johnny Winter, Link Wray, Robert Gordon, and others. Rob’s solo albums are streaming on your smart speaker.
Rob Stoner is featured in the Bob Dylan Rolling Thunder Revue Netflix film, directed by Martin Scorsese. He also acted in Dylan's indie film "Renaldo and Clara."
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In his Rolling Thunder Logbook, playwright Sam Shepard described Rob as "the brains behind the operation, grafting harmonies onto Dylan like a Siamese twin." Rolling Stone praised his "cool vocals" as "high octane punkabilly," and Hi Fi Magazine wrote that "Stoner has a rich, romantic voice, full of rich expression."​
Rob played piano, guitar, and bass on several 1970’s albums by Link Wray and Robert Gordon, continuing to work with the latter until 2020. In addition he has worked with many luminaries: Chuck Berry, Ringo Starr, Roy Orbison, the Jordanaires, Levon Helm, Carl Perkins, Michael Brecker, Mick Ronson, Joni Mitchell, Roger McGuinn, Joan Baez, Danny Gatton, Lynn Anderson, Thommy Price, Doug Sahm, James Maddock, Pete Farndon, Topper Headon, Anton Fig, D.J. Fontana, Howie Wyeth, Ed Sanders, Carlos Santana, Kinky Friedman, Gordon Lightfoot, Rick Danko, Tony Garnier, Larry Campbell, Scarlet Rivera, Kenny Aaronson, Hank DeVito, Emmylou Harris, John Herald, Johnny Thunders, Robbie Robertson, Jack Elliott, Gary Chester, Hank DeVito, Ken Pine, Don Covay, Jerry Garcia, Ed Freeman, Paul Griffin, Walter Davis Jr., Chris Spedding, Timothy Schmitt, Dan Rothstein, Tommy Allsup, Jerry Foster, Arno Hecht, B.J.Thomas, Bobby Chouinard, Allen Ginsberg, Gene Cornish, Robin Williams, and many others.