Robert C. Ford
a.k.a. the Wall $treet Poet

Robert C. Ford, known as the Wall $treet Poet, is a globe-trotting poet, lyricist and spoken word artist based in New York City. His performances span Europe and the Americas, and he is recognized for blending poetry with music—collaborating with world-class performers across genres including pop, rock, jazz and opera. His words are delivered both in his own voice and interpreted by acclaimed vocalists.

He has released two albums of poetry set to music: The Music Between Us (2021) and Footprints of Steel (2025). These works feature collaborations with notable composers such as Charles Coleman (Paavo Järvi, London Symphony Orchestra), Adam Holzman (Miles Davis, Steven Wilson), Mark Kostabi (Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion, Ramones Adios Amigos, Ornette Coleman), Carli Muñoz (Beach Boys, Wilson Pickett), Gene Pritsker (Matrix Resurrections, Joe Zawinul) and Jay Rodriguez Sierra (Groove Collective, Wu-Tang Clan).

Robert has performed alongside celebrated musicians including: Gerry Brown (drums--Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder), John Clark (horn--Gil Evans), Jane Getter (guitar--SNL Band), Adam Holzman (keyboards), Jason Kao Hwang (violin), Mark Kostabi (piano), Carli Muñoz (piano), Paul Nowinski (bass--Les Paul, Keith Richards), Gene Pritsker (guitar), Harvie S (bass), Rob Schwimmer (piano, theremin--Wayne Shorter, Paul Simon), Jay Rodriguez Sierra (saxophone), Dave Soldier (violin--Bo Diddley, John Cale) and David Taylor (bass trombone--Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones).

He has graced the stages of prominent New York City venues such as Birdland Jazz Club, The Bitter End, Joe's Pub, Pianos, Le Poisson Rouge, Chelsea Table + Stage, Nublu, The Stonewall Inn and Theatre 80. Beyond NYC, he has performed at Howland Cultural Center (Beacon, NY), Jazz Club ZWE (Vienna, Austria), Centro Mexicana para la Musica y las Artes Sonoras (Morelia, Mexico), NWEAMO Festival (San Diego, CA) and University of Costa Rica (San José, Costa Rica). In September 2022, he was featured with Grammy-winner Suzanne Vega at the Players Theatre as part of The Village Trip Festival.

Robert is also the host and curator of Sky Vault, an intimate concert and performance venue in New York City.

His work has been featured in outlets including New York Daily News (Oct 22, 2023; Dec 24, 2022), AM New York (Nov 13, 2024), Rutland Herald (May 31, 2025) and The Highlands Current (Jun 30, 2023). He has appeared on podcasts such as Missing Link Ensemble with Eddy Malave and Composers with Drinks Listening to Music. His recordings have aired on radio stations including WFMU 91.1 FM (Jersey City), WPRB 103.3 FM (Princeton), WRUU 107.5 FM (Savannah) and WMSE 91.7 FM (Milwaukee).

A member of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Robert holds more than 30 songwriter credits. His poetry has appeared in Maintenant, the acclaimed annual journal of contemporary Dada writing and art published by Three Rooms Press.

He has also acted in and contributed poetry to short films directed by Octavio Maya Rocha and holds multiple IMDb credits.

Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Robert graduated from Central Bucks High School West before earning a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Lehigh University (ranked #14 in Wall Street Journal’s Best Colleges in America). He began his professional life on Wall Street, first at Dean Witter Reynolds (now Morgan Stanley) as a Series 3-licensed commodities broker. He later became a partner at Financial Sciences Corporation, a provider of treasury and risk management solutions. For the past 15 years, he has worked as a consultant. Most recently, he was featured in the National Enquirer article Protect Your Cash (April 16, 2025).