Marty Robbins

Who Was Marty Robbins?

Marty Robbins was a legendary figure in country and western music, known for his distinctive voice and storytelling through song. Born in 1925, Robbins began his musical journey during his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he taught himself to play the guitar. After the war, he started performing in local clubs around Phoenix, Arizona, which led to his own radio and television shows by the late 1940s.

In 1951, Robbins signed with Columbia Records, marking the start of a prolific career. His first No. 1 country hit came in 1956 with “Singing the Blues.” Robbins solidified his place in music history with the release of “El Paso” in 1959, a song that earned him a Grammy Award. Throughout his career, he continued to produce hits such as “My Woman, My Woman, My Wife” and “Among My Souvenirs,” leaving an enduring legacy in the world of country music.

Early Life of Marty Robbins

Marty Robbins, born Martin David Robinson on September 26, 1925, in Glendale, Arizona, grew up in a large family as one of nine children. Music was a constant presence in his life, with his father being an amateur harmonica player. However, it was his grandfather, “Texas” Bob Heckle, a traveling salesman and storyteller, who left a profound impact on Robbins. “Texas” Bob’s stories inspired many of Robbins’ iconic songs, including “Big Iron,” which Robbins attributed to his grandfather’s tales of being a Texas Ranger.

Robbins also found inspiration in Western films, particularly those featuring Gene Autry, the original “Singing Cowboy.” Working in the cotton fields before school, Robbins saved his earnings to see Autry’s films, dreaming of becoming a cowboy singer himself. He later reminisced about sitting in the front row of those movies, captivated by the action and music, saying, “I wanted to be the cowboy singer, simply because Autry was my favorite singer. No one else inspired me.”

At age 12, Robbins’ life took a turn when his parents divorced, leading him and his siblings to move with their mother to Phoenix. After dropping out of high school, Robbins worked in the Bradshaw Mountains, herding goats and breaking wild horses with his brother. In 1943, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving in the Pacific during World War II. His deployment marked the first time he traveled beyond Arizona, and he played a role in the campaign to recapture Bougainville from Japanese forces.

It was during his time in the Navy that Robbins began teaching himself guitar and writing songs, solidifying his desire for a career in music. When he returned to Phoenix in 1946, he set his sights on making his dream of a show business career a reality.

Radio Star Beginnings

Marty Robbins began his career singing with local bands in bars and nightclubs around Phoenix, Arizona, particularly at a club called Fred Kares. To support himself during these early days, Robbins took on various construction jobs. His break came unexpectedly while driving a brick truck—he heard a country singer on the local radio station KPHO and believed he could do better. Determined, he drove to the station and secured a spot on the show.

By the late 1940s, Robbins had become a prominent figure in local radio with his own program, Chuck Wagon Time, and a local TV show, Western Caravan. His growing popularity caught the attention of Columbia Records, leading to a contract in 1951 after a talent scout saw him perform on Western Caravan. Robbins released his first single, “Love Me or Leave Me Alone,” in 1952, though it was not an immediate success. However, he soon found his stride, scoring his first Top 10 hit with “I’ll Go on Alone” in 1953, followed by another hit, “I Couldn’t Keep from Crying.”

That same period saw Robbins being invited to join the Grand Ole Opry, the nation’s most renowned country radio show, broadcast live from Nashville, Tennessee. For the next 25 years, Robbins was a regular on the show, sharing the stage with country music legends like Chet Atkins, Mother Maybelle, and the Carter Sisters.

Mainstream Success

Robbins’s breakthrough came with his first No. 1 single, “Singing the Blues,” in 1956. This success was followed by two more No. 1 hits in 1957: “A White Sport Coat” and “The Story of My Life.” His star continued to rise, bolstered by hits like “Knee Deep in the Blues” and “Please Don’t Blame Me.”

In 1959, Robbins released Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs, an album that would become iconic in his career. It featured two of his most enduring tracks: “El Paso” and “Big Iron.” “El Paso” earned Robbins a Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording. Known for his deep, resonant voice and storytelling style, Robbins continued to produce chart-topping hits throughout the 1960s. Among his most famous songs from that era are “Devil Woman,” “Beggin’ to You,” “The Cowboy in the Continental Suit,” “Ruby Ann,” and “Ribbon of Darkness.”

Simultaneously, Robbins pursued his passion for auto racing, starting in the early 1960s by racing stock cars on small dirt tracks. By the end of the decade, he had progressed to the NASCAR Grand National division, where he raced alongside legends like Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough.

Despite suffering a major heart attack near the close of the 1960s, Robbins bounced back, releasing the ballad “My Woman, My Woman, My Wife,” which became his biggest hit in years and earned him his second Grammy Award.

Throughout the 1970s, Robbins continued racing and making music. He survived several near-fatal crashes, including one where he swerved into a concrete wall at 145 mph to avoid a stalled car ahead of him—an act that demonstrated both his courage and compassion. During this period, he continued to deliver hits like “Jolie Girl,” “El Paso City,” “Among My Souvenirs,” and “I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do),” further solidifying his legacy in both country music and racing.

Death and Legacy

In October 1982, Marty Robbins was honored with induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, a testament to his remarkable contributions to the genre. Despite battling severe illness, Robbins released his final single that year, aptly titled “Some Memories Won’t Die,” before succumbing to his third major heart attack in early December. After undergoing surgery, Robbins passed away on December 8, 1982, at the age of 57, in a Nashville hospital. He was survived by his wife, Marizona, to whom he had been married since 1948, and their two children.

Robbins’ career stands as one of the most distinguished in country music history. Over the course of his life, he recorded more than 500 songs, released 60 albums, and earned two Grammy Awards. For 19 consecutive years, he secured a spot on the Billboard country singles charts with at least one song each year. In reflecting on his career, Robbins humbly downplayed his musical prowess, stating in a late-life interview, “I’ve done what I wanted to do. I’m not a real good musician, but I can write [a song] pretty well. I experiment once in a while to see what I can do. I find out the best I can do is stay with ballads.”

His enduring legacy remains a cornerstone of country music.