Marty Robbins

Marty Robbins married Marizona in 1948 and was married to her till his death. They had a son Ronny Robbins and a daughter Janet Robbins.

Robbins suffered a major heart attack in the 1960s, but he did not let his health affect his work. Despite his illness, he continued working. He released his last single, ‘Some Memories Won't Die’, in 1982. After he had a third heart attack on December 2, 1982, he underwent bypass surgery. He passed away after six days, on December 8. He was 57.

Marty Robbins was born on September 26, 1925 in a desert near Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. He belonged to a nomadic family and was the sixth among nine children.

His father was an alcoholic and was often involved in thefts. As a result, his mother had to struggle to feed the children. His parents divorced when Robbins was 12.

The only thing he liked about his childhood was the stories his grandfather, 'Texas' Bob Heckle, a traveling salesman, used to tell him. Robbins had stated in an interview that he used to sing church songs for him and he would tell him stories. A lot of the songs he would write in the future were inspired by his grandfather’s stories; for example, the song 'Big Iron' was based on his grandfather’s experiences as a Texas ranger.

To escape his troubled family situation, he joined the United States Navy at the age of 17 during the World War II. While he was on the ship, he learned to play the guitar on his own and started writing songs. He also developed a liking for Hawaiian music.

When Marty Robbins was discharged from the Navy in 1947, he began pursuing a singing career and started performing at local clubs in Phoenix. Soon, he started hosting his own show ‘Chuck Wagon Time’ on KTYL, a local radio station, followed by his own television show ‘Western Caravan’ on KPHO-TV in Phoenix.

Country music singer Little Jimmy Dickens, who had appeared on Robbins' TV show, introduced him to executives at Columbia Records and helped him sign a deal in 1951. The following year, his first single ‘Love Me or Leave Me Alone’ was released, but it was not a hit.

In 1953, his single ‘I'll Go on Alone’ became a hit and reached the number 1 spot on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song ‘I Couldn't Keep from Crying’ was also a hit. With a rise in his popularity, he was offered a chance to become a regular member of the ‘Grand Ole Opry’, a popular country radio show.

In 1956, his song ‘Singing the Blues’ topped the country charts. The following year, he had two more number 1 songs—‘A White Sport Coat’ and ‘The Story of My Life’.

In 1957, his songs ‘Knee Deep in the Blues’ and ‘Please Don't Blame Me’ also became hits. In 1959, he released the album ‘Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs’ and one of its songs, ‘El Paso,’ was a smashing hit and was his first song to hit number 1 on the pop chart.

Marty Robbins’ highest charting album was ‘Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs’. It charted at number 6 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. One of its singles, ‘El Paso’, became a hit on the country as well as the pop charts.

His single ‘A White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation’, recorded in 1957, sold over 1 million copies and was awarded a gold record. It peaked at number 1 on the U.S. country chart and number 2 on the U.S. Billboard pop chart.