Robert Joseph Segarini (28 August 1945 – 10 July 2023) was an American-Canadian recording artist, singer, songwriter, composer, and radio host. During a professional music career primarily developed between 1968 and the early 1980s, Segarini was particularly popular in Canada. He is also notable as one of the founding members of The Wackers.
Segarini's earliest band, The Ratz, was a local Los Angeles group with Gary Duncan, who later formed Quicksilver Messenger Service. Around 1966, Segarini formed Family Tree with guitarist and keyboardist Jimmy De Cocq, singer Michael Dure, drummer Vann Slatter, and bassist Bill "Kootch" Trochim. The group released a folk rock-style single on the Mira label, before signing with RCA Records; they released a second single on RCA in 1967, followed by their only album, Miss Butters, in 1968. Now considered one of the first concept albums (inspired by Segarini's real-life kindergarten teacher, Miss Grady) it features a suite of songs that depict the life of a spinster school teacher, Miss Butters, who is born into a showbiz family, but experiences a failed relationship that leads her to devote life to children and teaching, before dying old and lonely. Produced by Rick Jarrard, with arrangements by George Tipton, it was recorded during the same period that Jarrard and Tipton were working on the Harry Nilsson LP Aerial Ballet - Nilsson collaborated with Segarini on the track "Butters Lament" and the album features some of the same session players who contributed to Aerial Ballet.
Next Segarini formed Roxy with De Cocq and Randy Bishop playing bass and vocals. The group signed with Elektra Records in 1969, but after one album, producer Gary Usher reorganised the band adding drummer Spencer Earnshaw and former guitarist from Family Tree, Mike Stull, and bassist Bill 'Kootch' Trochim. The new group released three albums as The Wackers, Wackering Heights, Hot Wacks, and Shredder.
Segarini, together with Randy Bishop, co-wrote and recorded two songs for the film Vanishing Point (1971), "Dear Jesus God" and "Over Me". He has also worked with the British songstress Elkie Brooks.
In 1974, Segarini founded The Dudes, with Trochim and Wayne Cullen from the final Wackers aggregate, Ritchie and David Henman - previously with April Wine, and Brian Greenway, future April Wine guitarist. They recorded one album for Columbia Records, We're No Angels, and almost completed a second album before Columbia dropped them from their roster leading to the band break-up. Parts of the second album made their way onto CD along with a collection of unreleased recordings, All The Young Dudes - All The Old Demos on Pacemaker, put together for (and only sold at) their 1997 reunion show.
Segarini went on to a solo career, recording four albums: Gotta Have Pop, On the Radio, Goodbye L.A., and Vox Populi. The first three have been remastered and re-issued with bonus tracks by Bullseye Records.
During the mid-1980s, Segarini began his career in the radio industry, first with CHUM-FM, followed by several stints at Classic Rock radio station CILQ - known to Toronto locals as Q107. It was there that he adopted the moniker "The Iceman". In 2009, after a successful stint on Sirius Satellite Radio's channel 85, Segarini began writing weekly columns for FYI Music - an online magazine devoted to the music industry. His thrice-weekly column was titled "Don't Believe a Word I Say", named after his 1979 single from Gotta Have Pop.
Segarini died in Toronto on 10 July 2023, at the age of 77. He had been fighting diabetes.
Just Me/How Can I Tell Her (Autumn Records - unreleased) featured on the album 'Nuggets from the Golden State - Dance With Me: the Autumn Teen Sound' (Big Beat Records CDWIKD 128, 1994)
1968 Family Tree – Miss Butters (RCA LPM-3955 & LSP-3955)
Prince of Dreams/Live Your Own Life (Mira 228, 1966) Keepin' a Secret/Do You Have the Time? (RCA 47-9184, 1967) Slippin' Through My Fingers/Miss Butters (RCA 47-9565, 1968) She Had To Fly/He Spins Around (RCA 47-9671, 1968)
Love Love Love/New York City (Elektra EK45682, 1969)
Rock and Roll Circus/Somebody Told You (Elektra EK45683, 1969)
Listen To The Music/Tickets (Elektra EK45717, 1970)
(We Gotta) Stop The War (Promo) (Elektra PEACE-1, 1970)
1971 Segarini and Bishop – Vanishing Point Soundtrack (Amos AAS 8002 - USA Soundtrack STCS1410 - UK)
1971 The Wackers – Wackering Heights (Elektra EKS 74089)
1972 The Wackers – Hot Wacks (Elektra EKS 75025)