Robert Ozn
| Robert Ozn | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Robert M Rosen New York, N.Y. |
| Nationality | USA |
| Other names | OZN, DaDa NaDa |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, Film Producer, Recording Artist, Songwriter, Record Producer |
| Known for | One of the early pioneers of computer music sampling, producing, with partner Ned Liben (EBN of EBN-OZN), the first commercially released record ("AEIOU Sometimes Y", Elektra Records/1983) ever made on a computer, a Fairlight CMI, in the United States. One of the music industry's first white rap artists (Elektra/1983) and the first white House Music artist (One Voice/1989) to chart in North America |
Robert Ozn (born Robert M. Rosen, New York City) (nickname OZN, pronounced "OH-zen") is a Top Five Billboard recording artist, award-winning screenwriter, producer and Broadway actor, being the vocal half of 80s synthpop duo EBN-OZN; his solo act, Dada Nada; and for his later work as co-producer and co-writer with Colin Greene of the human-rights themed feature film I Witness starring Jeff Daniels, James Spader and Portia de Rossi.
He is also a prominent bisexual activist (see below).
As a child singing prodigy, he was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children's Chorus, appearing in numerous productions in both the "Old Met" and the "New Met" at Lincoln Center. At the age of 16, he was the youngest student ever to receive a Key Scholarship award from Herbert Berghof acting school (HB Studio) in Greenwich Village. At 17, he was accepted as a voice and theater major at the Indiana University School of Music, where he studied with Norwegian Bass/Baritone Roy Samuelson of the New York City Opera.
As a teenager, he went on the road as a singer with Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band, working with Lew Tabackin, Ed Shaughnessy, Snookie Young, Ross Tompkins and Buddy Rich.
His first professional musical theatre role was that of Hero in a tour of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Zero Mostel. Shortly after, he created the role of Henry Anderson in the original Broadway cast of Shenandoah starring John Cullum, which originally premiered at the Goodspeed Opera House. Subsequent acting work: leads in Vagabond Stars a pre-Broadway piece at the Berkshire Theater Festival with lyrics written by the Newsroom's Executive Producer/Director Alan Poul, Pirates of Penzance with Karla DeVito, and the LA company of Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class with Gary Sinise and James Gammon .
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