2013 1· AZ FUN FACTS I Marty Robbins

State historian Marshall Trimble he had his own local on one of America's great radio and television country music legends. shows. In 1951, Ivlarty ONE EVENING IN the spring of1980 I was at­ was signed by Co­ tending an event at the National Cowboy lumbia Records and Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. I stepped got his big break the into an empty elevator at a nearby hotel, following year sing­ and following right on my bootheels was ing on the Grand Ole the legendary country-and-western singer Opry in Nashville. Marty Robbins. I've always been respectful His perfect pitch and of privacy when it comes to celebrities, so I voice range made fixed my attention on the toes of my boots. him one of country Suddenly, a face peered up at me from be­ neath the brim of my hat. "Hi, I'm l'v1arty Robbins," he said, offer­ ing his hand. I hesitated a moment and then blurted, "Yes sir, I know, and I know your wife's name is l\1arizona because she was was a saloon in El Paso around the turn of born in lVlaricopa County, Arizona." "Hovv'd the century called Rosa's Cantina.) VVhcn you know that?" he asked. ''I'm an Arizona he reached Phoenix 10 hours later, he was historian and I know that stuff." I replied. He ready to write. The song took only a few said, "Let's go have some dinner." minutes to complete. O ver dinner, he told me all about his early M arty Robbins had 18 number-one hits years working in the bars around P hoenix but is best remembered for "El Paso."The and how he came to write his most famous folks in that Texas town were so grateful that song. I'd always heard that the friendly and they named a park and recreational center approachable Marty Robbins was themost after him. A plaque honors him at the city's popular entertainer ever to perform at the international airport. storied Grand Ole Opry, and now I knew "El Paso" was taken from his Gunfighter ·why. They say he never left the stage area un­ music's most versatile performers. During the Ballads and Trail Songs album, which was fol­ til everybody had a chance to come up and 1950s, he had a number oftop hits including lowed up with More Gulifighter Ballads and shake his hand. He was an American original: "A \Nhite Sport Coat and a Pink Carnation" Trail Songs.The second album won a G ram­ a singer, a songvtriter, a movie star, a NAS­ and "Singing the Blues." my in 1961 for Best Country and vVestern CAR driver, and an all-around good guy all In 1959, he recorded his signature song, Album. Both albums remain cowboy-music rolled into one. "El Paso," and it won a coveted Grammy classics to this day. Marty was born Martin David Robinson Award, the first country-and-western song .Marty received many awards and honors, on Sept. 26, 1925, in Glendale. H e grew up to win such recognition. The song became including being inducted into the Nashville poor in a family of nine children, living along number one on both pop and country charts Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975 and se­ the Santa Fe railroad tracks. H e worked at and marked the beginning of bridging the lected for Country Music Hall of Fame in odd jobs like herding goats and bustin\vild gap between the t\vo music fields. Marty got 1982. He was also an avid race-car driver, broncs to help outthe family. H e dropped out the idea fo r "El Paso" in 1955 when driv­ driving in 35 NASCAR races vvith six top- of high school in 1942,joined the Navy, and ing through that city on his way to a family 10 finishes. In 1983,NASCAR honored him spent the war years in the Solomon Islands. gathering in Texas. Two years later, passing by naming the annual race at Nashville the During downtime, he learned to play guitar through again, the song took shape as he ".Marty Robbins 420." and began writing songs. visualized a vVestern melodrama about a Marty died on Dec. 8, 1982, at the age of After the war, he returned home, worked young cowboy who fell in love with a Ivlexi­ 57 from complications following open-heart construction jobs during the day, and sang can girl in a dive in El Paso called Rosa's surgery. On the day of his death, the clouds w ith local bands in bars and nightclubs Cantina. A cafe in Glendale where he used over normally dry El Paso opened up and around PhoenLx at night. He also changed to hang out called Rosa's Cafe inspired the shed tears over the passing of one ofAmeri ­ his name to Marty Robbins. Before long, name. (He didn't know it, but there actually ca's great country-music legends.

42 JU~E I JU.Y 2013