Marty Robbins
Marty Robbins, (
September 26 1925,
Glendale, Arizona -
December 8,
1982), was an
American Country & Western Hall of Fame musician.
He was one of the most popular and successful country singers of his era--for most of his nearly four-decade career, Robbins was rarely far from the country music charts. Several of his songs became pop hits, as well.
Born
Martin David Robinson near
Glendale, Arizona, Robbins served in the
United States Navy as an
LCT coxswain during
World War II. To pass the time during the war, he learned to play the guitar, started writing songs, and grew to love
Hawaiian music.
After his discharge from the military in
1945, he started playing at local venues in
Phoenix, then moved on to host his own
radio station show, on
KTYL, and ended up with his own
television (TV) show on
KPHO in Phoenix. After
Little Jimmy Dickens made a guest appearance on Robbins' TV show, Dickens got Robbins a record deal with
Columbia. He went on to become an immensely popular
singing star of the
Grand Ole Opry in
Nashville, Tennessee.
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Marty Robbins |
His musical accomplishments include the first
Grammy Award ever awarded for a
country song, for his
1959 hit and signature song "
El Paso". "El Paso" was also the first song to hit #1 on the pop chart in the
1960s. He won the Grammy Award for the Best Country & Western Recording
1961, for the album
More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, and was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in
1970, for "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife." Robbins was named
"Artist of the Decade" (1960-69) by the
Academy of Country Music, was elected to the
Country Music Hall of Fame in
1982, and was given a
Grammy Hall of Fame Award in
1998 for his song "El Paso".
Marty Robbins was inducted into the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in
1975. For his contribution to the recording industry, Marty Robbins has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6666 Hollywood Blvd.
Between recording songs and touring, Marty Robbins was an avid
race car driver, competing in
NASCAR with the best
stock car drivers in the world, including at the
Daytona 500.
Marty Robbins died in Nashville on
December 8,
1982, due to surgical complications. He was interred in the
Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.
* "El Paso" was a staple of live performances of the
Grateful Dead for many years. It was first played in
1969, and subsequently performed more than 385 times until the group's disbandment in 1995. [
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*"Just a Little Sentimental" (19??)
*"I'll Go On Alone" (1953)
*"That's All Right Mama" (1954)
*"
Singing the Blues" (1956)
*"A White Sport Coat" (1957)
*"Story of My Life" (1957)
*"The Hanging Tree" (1959)
*"
El Paso" (1959)
*"
Big Iron" (1960)
*"Ballad of the Alamo" (1960)
*"Don't Worry" (1961)
*"Devil Woman" (1962)
*"Ruby Ann" (1962)
*"Begging to You" (1964)
*"Cowboy in the Continental Suit" (1964)
*"Ribbon of Darkness" (1965)
*"Tonight Carmen" (1967)
*"I Walk Alone" (1968)
*"You Gave Me a Mountain" (1969)
*"My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" (1970)
*"Walking Piece of Heaven" (1973)
*"El Paso" (1976)
*"Among My Souvenirs" (1976)
*"Return to Me" (1978)
*"Some Memories Just Won't Die" (1982)
*"The Strawberry Roan"
*"A Hundred And Sixty Acres"
*"They're Hanging Me Tonight"
*"Cool Water"
*"Billy The Kid"
*"Utah Carol"
*"The Master's Call"
*"Running Gun"
*"In The Valley"
*"The Little Green Valley"
*"The Hanging Tree"
*"Saddle Tramp"
*
Robbins' page @ the Country Music Hall of Fame*
Robbins' @ Western Music Association*
Robbins' @ the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame*
Robbins' bio by Hank Davis of All Music Guide*
Gaylen Duskey article @ NASCAR.com* [
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