Roberts grew up in a small town in Livingston, Tennessee, United States, listening to blues and R&B on radio stations.

One major artist, Solomon Burke, took Roberts under his wing after letting him sit in as a bass player during a local gig.

Roberts began to cut records in the mid-1960s, staying mostly behind the scenes as a session musician with Eddie Floyd, Dee Clark, Stevie Wonder, William Bell, Solomon Burke, and Otis Redding.

The death of Otis Redding inspired Roberts to step up to the microphone with a song dedicated to the late crooner.

Scripture Cake,[2] a movie written, directed, and produced by Dr. Emily D. Edwards, contained six songs by Roberts.