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Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982) was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.

One of the most popular and successful American country and western singers of his era, Robbins’ songs were often eclectic, touching notably on an array of world music. For most of his nearly four decade career, Robbins was rarely far from the country music charts, and several of his songs also became pop hits.

Robbins was born in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona. He was reared in a difficult family situation. His father took odd jobs to support the family of ten children. His father’s drinking led to divorce in 1937. Among his warmer memories of his childhood, Robbins recalled having listened to stories of the American West told by his maternal grandfather, Texas Bob Heckle. Robbins left the troubled home at the age of seventeen to serve in the United States Navy as an LCT coxswain during World War II. He was stationed in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. To pass the time during the war, he learned to play the guitar, started writing songs, and came to love Hawaiian music.

After his discharge from the military in 1945, he began to play at local venues in Phoenix, then moved on to host his own radio station show on KTYL. He thereafter had 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 Records. Robbins became an immensely popular singing star at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. He was especially known for his kindness toward his many fans.

In addition to his recordings and performances, Robbins was an avid race car driver, competing in NASCAR races, including the 1973 Daytona 500. In 1967, Robbins played himself in the car racing film Hell on Wheels. [1] Marty was partial to Dodges, and owned and raced a couple of Chargers and then a 1978 Dodge Magnum. His last race was in his Magnum in a 1982 ARCA race. In 1983, NASCAR honored Robbins by naming the annual race at Nashville the Marty Robbins 420. He was also driver of The 60th Indianapolis 500 Buick Century pace car in 1976.

In 1948, Robbins married the former Marizona Baldwin (September 11, 1930 - July 10, 2001) to whom he dedicated his song “My Woman, My Woman, My Wife’”. They had two children, a son Ronny (born 1949) and daughter Janet (born 1959), who also followed a singing career in Los Angeles.

Robbins later portrayed a musician in the 1982 Clint Eastwood film Honkytonk Man. Robbins died a few weeks before the film’s release in December 1982 of complications following cardiac surgery. At the times of their deaths, Marty and Marizona lived in Brentwood in Williamson County, outside Nashville. They are interred in Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville. The city of El Paso, Texas later honored Robbins by naming a park and a recreational center after him.

Tags: Marty Robbins

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