Marty Robbins American singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Date of Birth: 26.09.1925 Country: USA

1. Biography of Marty Robbins
2. Military Service and Early Musical Career
3. Racing Career and Later Life
4. Personal Life and Legacy

Biography of Marty Robbins

Marty Robbins, born Martin David Robinson, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He was one of the most popular and successful country and country-western singers of his time, with a career spanning nearly four decades. Robbins was born on September 26, 1925, in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona. He grew up in a difficult family situation, with his father struggling to support their large family of ten children with sporadic earnings. In 1937, his parents divorced due to his father's alcoholism. Despite the challenges, Robbins fondly remembers his maternal grandfather's stories about the American West, which greatly influenced his love for country and western music.

Military Service and Early Musical Career

At the age of 17, Robbins left home and enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II. While stationed on the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, he learned to play the guitar, started writing songs, and developed a passion for Hawaiian music. After being discharged from military service in 1945, Robbins began performing at local venues in Phoenix, Arizona. He soon had his own show on the Catholic radio station KTYL and later hosted his own television show on KPHO-TV. However, his breakthrough came when he started performing on the radio show "Grand Ole Opry" in Nashville, Tennessee.

Racing Career and Later Life

In addition to his musical achievements, Marty Robbins was an avid race car driver, participating in 35 NASCAR races, including the 1973 Daytona 500. He even portrayed himself in the 1963 racing film "Hell on Wheels." Robbins had a particular fondness for Dodge vehicles and owned a Dodge Charger and later a 1978 Dodge Magnum. He participated in his final race just a month before his death on November 7, 1982. In honor of Robbins, NASCAR named their annual race in Nashville the "Marty Robbins 420" in 1983.

Personal Life and Legacy

On September 27, 1948, Marty Robbins married Marizona Baldwin. They had two children, son Ronny, born in 1949, and daughter Janet, born in 1959. Janet followed in her father's footsteps and became a singer in Los Angeles, California. Marty Robbins also had a brief acting career, portraying a musician in Clint Eastwood's 1982 musical drama film "Honkytonk Man." Unfortunately, Robbins passed away on December 8, 1982, from complications following heart surgery. He was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville. In his honor, a park and entertainment center in El Paso, Texas, were named after him.

Throughout his career, Marty Robbins achieved numerous musical accomplishments. His 1957 recording "A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation" sold over a million copies and earned him a gold record. He won a Grammy Award for his 1959 hit "El Paso," which topped the pop charts in the 1960s. Robbins also had success with the singles "Don't Worry" in 1961 and the sequels to "El Paso," titled "Feleena" and "El Paso City." He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998 for "El Paso." Marty Robbins left a lasting impact on the music industry and was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.