Marty Robbins was one of the most popular and successful country singers of his time, with a career that spanned from the late 1940s to the early 1980s. He was also a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter, and a NASCAR racing driver. He is best known for his signature song “El Paso”, which won him a Grammy Award in 1960 and was featured in the final episode of the TV series Breaking Bad. But how did Marty Robbins die, and what impact did he have on the country music genre and beyond?
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Early Life and Career
Marty Robbins was born as Martin David Robinson on September 26, 1925, in Glendale, Arizona. He grew up in a poor family and had a difficult childhood. He dropped out of school at the age of 16 and joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. He taught himself how to play the guitar while serving in the Pacific, and started performing in clubs and bars after he was discharged in 1947.
He moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1951 and signed with Columbia Records. He changed his name to Marty Robbins and became a regular performer on the Grand Ole Opry radio show. He had his first No. 1 country hit in 1952 with “I’ll Go On Alone”, which also crossed over to the pop charts. He followed it with more hits, such as “Singing the Blues”, “A White Sport Coat”, and “The Story of My Life”.
Western Ballads and Outlaw Country
Marty Robbins developed a passion for western music and history, and started writing songs that reflected his interest. In 1959, he released his most famous song, “El Paso”, which was a four-minute-long western ballad that told the story of a cowboy who falls in love with a Mexican girl and gets into a fatal gunfight. The song was a huge success, reaching No. 1 on both the country and pop charts, and winning Robbins his first Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording.
Robbins continued to explore the western theme in his subsequent albums, such as Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1959), More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (1960), Return of the Gunfighter (1963), and The Drifter (1966). Some of his other popular western songs include “Big Iron”, “The Hanging Tree”, “The Streets of Laredo”, and “The Master’s Call”. He also starred in several western movies, such as Buffalo Gun (1961), Ballad of a Gunfighter (1964), and Guns of a Stranger (1973).
Robbins was also one of the pioneers of the outlaw country movement, which rebelled against the mainstream Nashville sound and embraced a more raw and authentic style of country music. He recorded songs that dealt with topics such as adultery, murder, gambling, and drug use, such as “Devil Woman”, “Ruby Ann”, “Mr. Shorty”, and “Honkytonk Man”. He also collaborated with other outlaw artists, such as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.
Health Problems and Death
Marty Robbins suffered from cardiovascular disease since his early thirties. He had his first heart attack in 1969, which forced him to undergo surgery and reduce his touring schedule. He had another heart attack in 1970, which damaged his vocal cords and affected his singing ability. He recovered from both incidents and continued to record and perform until the early 1980s.
However, his health deteriorated further in 1982. He had his third heart attack on December 2, while driving his car near his home in Brentwood, Tennessee. He managed to pull over to the side of the road and call for help before losing consciousness. He was rushed to St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, where he underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery.
Unfortunately, he did not recover from the operation and died six days later, on December 8, at the age of 57. He was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, with an epitaph that read: “He touched the soul of the world by allowing his God-given ‘golden voice’ to be used in a public way.”
Legacy and Influence
Marty Robbins left behind a legacy of music that influenced generations of country artists and fans. He was one of the most versatile and prolific singers in country music history, recording more than 500 songs and 60 albums in various genres and styles. He 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 have been covered by many other famous artists, such as Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Marty Stuart. His song “El Paso” was ranked by the Western Writers of America as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. His song “Big Iron” was featured in the video game Fallout: New Vegas, introducing his music to a new generation of fans.
Marty Robbins was a country legend who left an indelible mark on the music industry and culture. He was a master storyteller who brought the western spirit to life with his songs. He was also a rebel who challenged the norms and conventions of his genre with his outlaw attitude. He was a man who lived and died by his passion for music. He was Marty Robbins, and he will always be remembered.
