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Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American country and western singer and songwriter, as well as a professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He was one of the most popular and successful singers of his genre for most of his nearly four-decade career, which spanned from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. He was also an early outlaw country pioneer.

Born in Glendale, Arizona, Robbins taught himself guitar while serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and subsequently drew fame performing in clubs in and around his hometown. In 1952, he released his first number-one country song, "I'll Go On Alone". Four years later, he released his second number-one hit "Singing the Blues", and one year later, released two more number-one hits, "A White Sport Coat" and "The Story of My Life". In 1959, Robbins released his signature song, "El Paso", for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Country and Western Recording. The song began Robbins' association with Western balladry, a style that became a staple of his career. His later releases that drew critical acclaim include "Don't Worry", "Big Iron", "Devil Woman", and "Honkytonk Man", the last for which the 1982 Clint Eastwood film is named, and in which Robbins made his final appearance before his death.

Over the course of his career, Robbins recorded more than 500 songs and 60 albums, and won two Grammy Awards, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was named the 1960s Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music. His songs "El Paso" and "Big Iron" were ranked by the Western Writers of America among the top-100 Western songs of all time. Robbins was a commercial success in both the country and pop genres, and his songs were covered by many other famous artists, including Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead, and Elvis Presley. Johnny Cash noted, "there's no greater country singer than Marty Robbins." His music continues to have an influence in pop culture today, featuring prominently in several films, television shows, and video games.

Early life

Robbins was born Martin David Robinson on September 26, 1925, in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix in Maricopa County. His parents, John "Jack" Robinson (1889–1975) and Emma Heckle (1889–1970), divorced in 1937 when Robbins was 12 years old.

Among the warmer memories of his childhood, Robbins recalled having listened to stories of the American West told by his maternal grandfather, "Texas Bob" Heckle, who was a traveling salesman, raconteur, and local medicine man.

Robbins later recalled: "He had two little books of poetry he would sell. I used to sing him church songs and he would tell me stories. A lot of the songs I've written were brought about because of stories he told me. Like 'Big Iron' I wrote because he was a Texas Ranger. At least he told me he was."

Robbins dropped out of high school in Glendale before his time in the Navy, and worked as an amateur boxer, dug ditches, drove trucks, delivered ice, and served as a mechanic's helper.

At 17, Robbins left home to serve in the U.S. Navy as an LCT coxswain during World War II. He was stationed in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific theater. 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 1947 and his marriage the following year, Robbins began to play at local venues in Phoenix, In the early 1950s, Marty moved on to host his own show on KTYL and then his own television show Western Caravan on KPHO-TV in Phoenix. After Little Jimmy Dickens made a guest appearance on Robbins' TV show, Dickens got Robbins a record deal with Columbia Records.

Career

Robbins became known for his appearances on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Music journalist Mary Harron wrote this about him in The Guardian:

Robbins was a symbol of the Nashville establishment that younger country fans abandoned in the '70s for the bleached-denim "outlaw school" of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Robbins belonged to the Jim Reeves era, and wore his embroidered cowboy suits proudly. Best known for the Western ballad, "El Paso", his career also touched the rock 'n' roll side of country in songs like "White Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation", and he kept a touch of the dude about him to the end.