About Us
The Sidewalk Sinatra
Robert Kim, known as The Sidewalk Sinatra, is a Korean American performer captivating audiences with his renditions of classic hits by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and other music legends. Whether singing outside a local Atlanta supermarket or in the heart of Times Square, Robert’s golden voice and signature gold-sequined tuxedo never fail to turn heads.
His journey took an unexpected turn in 2023 when he decided to try his luck singing outside a Kroger in Atlanta. With just a small karaoke speaker and a tip jar, Robert set out to entertain passing shoppers—never imagining that a legendary filmmaker was watching. That filmmaker was none other than Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now), who was in town shooting his latest epic, Megalopolis.
Impressed by Robert’s charm and stage presence, Coppola dubbed him The Sidewalk Sinatra and invited him to audition for the entire cast. The audition was a success, and Robert landed a role in the $120 million film, joining a star-studded lineup featuring Adam Driver, Jon Voight, Shia LaBeouf, Aubrey Plaza, and Laurence Fishburne.
Despite his Hollywood debut, Robert remains dedicated to his passion for performing on the streets, where his journey began. His story—a blend of talent, perseverance, and a touch of Cinderella-like serendipity—continues to inspire audiences worldwide.
For a taste of Robert’s captivating performances, check out his YouTube channel, The Sidewalk Sinatra, where he shares his soulful renditions from New York to Atlanta and beyond.
It’s taken a long time for Robert Kim to make it to the cover of Atlanta Magazine.
Here is his story.
He began his career as a child actor, logging an impressive list of television roles from commercials, to soap operas, to TV shows like “Law & Order,” and beloved movies like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” In between acting jobs, Robert turned his passion for photography into creating four highly successful studios for actors in both Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and currently Atlanta, “The Hollywood of the South.” After taking Angelina Jolie’s first professional headshots, people immediately took notice and he rapidly became the most published headshot photographer in the history of the industry. But his fondest dream was always to pursue a career in music, his greatest passion. And like Cinderella in the fairy tale, sometimes the craziest dreams have a way of coming true.
While still a teenager in high school, after winning the talent show playing with his garage band Robert Kim soon found himself touring with the recording group ‘Climax,’ whose hit song “Precious & Few” instantly became a fan favorite to millions. But after playing for a dozen groups since, he still yearned for the challenge of becoming a solo artist. So, on a dare from a friend he reinvented himself as the world’s first Asian Elvis Impersonator and auditioned to compete in ABC’s popular hit “The Gong Show” with Chuck Barris, taking home the coveted first prize in his very first television performance. Soon he found himself performing on TV’s “Married, With Children,” then featured in the motion picture, “Honeymoon in Vegas.” After being noticed by producers at an International Elvis Contest, he was invited to record an entire album with Elvis Presley’s famous background singers “The Jordanaires” in Nashville, Tennessee, the only artist to ever enjoy that privilege. Once he had hung up his Elvis jumpsuit for good, Robert began to hone and expand and his craft by singing anywhere he could, even performing on street corners for tips. That’s when lighting struck… again.
One day in 2023, a well-known Hollywood filmmaker noticed him singing in front of a local Atlanta supermarket. The director happened to be the legendary director Francis Ford Coppola (“The Godfather,” Apocalypse Now”). He enjoyed Robert’s singing so much that he asked him to audition for this latest film project—and given where he found him dubbed him “The Sidewalk Sinatra”—eventually persuading him to reprise his one-of-a-kind Elvis routine for his new film, “Megalopolis.” Still eager for new challenges, he continued his love of performing the classic tunes of The Baby Boomer Generation, beginning an entirely new chapter in his amazing career. Robert describes his engaging new sound as “Old School Cool,” and he hopes you’ll agree.
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