The Life and Songs of Marty Robbins Quiz

Answer: Arizona

Martin David Robinson was born on September 26, 1925, in Glendale, Arizona. He was one of a family of ten children. His father drank heavily and his parents divorced before Marty was a teenager. His grandfather on his mother's side was called Texas Bob Heckle.

He would often tell Marty tales of his exploits as a former Texas Ranger and medicine show performer. When Marty was still only ten or eleven he would walk eight miles on Saturdays to the theater in a nearby town to see Gene Autry pictures.

Answer: Navy

Marty served in the United States Navy as an LCT Coxswain during World War II. He was stationed in the Solomon Islands driving landing craft that carried soldiers to the beaches. While in the service he learned to play the guitar and started writing songs. A visit to Hawaii before his discharge in 1945 left him with a lifelong love of Hawaiian music.

Answer: Radio and Television

Upon his discharge from the Navy, Marty began playing guitar for a local band. His professional career began in 1947 when he was hired to play and sing at radio station KTYL in Mesa, Arizona. As his popularity increased he landed a job at KPHO in Phoenix.

He was given an early morning show called "Chuck Wagon Time". When KPHO started operating a television station Marty was asked to do live performances for them. The fifteen-minute show, "Country Caravan", became a big hit locally. In 1951 "Little" Jimmy Dickens made an appearance on "Country Caravan".

He was impressed with Marty's talent and contacted CBS Records. A representative came to see Marty perform and signed him to a recording contract in May, 1951.

Answer: Just a Little Sentimental

For his first Columbia Records session Marty was scheduled to record four songs. Columbia sent him 20 songs to choose from but Marty didn't like any of them so he wrote four of his own. Columbia executives were so offended that Marty's first recording session almost never happened.

After a couple of releases that failed to chart, "Just a Little Sentimental" was released in 1951. "I'll Go On Alone" followed in 1953 and "Singing the Blues" was released in 1956. "Singing the Blues" was Marty's first number one hit.

While "I'll Go On Alone" was becoming popular Marty did an appearance on the "Grand Ole Opry". In 1953 he became a regular member of the Opry and relocated his family to Nashville. In 1955 Marty earned his third Top Ten hit with "That's All Right Mama", which had been recorded by Elvis.

His fourth Top Ten came the same year when Marty recorded his version of Chuck Berry's "Maybelline".

Answer: One

Marty married Marizona Balwin in 1948. When she was a young girl Marizona dreamed of marrying a singing cowboy. When she was 15 she met 20-year-old Marty at a malt shop where she was working. They soon began dating and eventually married. Marty later dedicated his song, "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" to Marizona.

Their marriage lasted 33 years until Marty's passing. They had a son named Ronny, who was born in 1949, and a daughter Janet, born in 1959. Janet Robbins would go on to become a singer.

Answer: El Paso

"El Paso" was included on the "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs" album in September, 1959. It was released as a single the following month. Columbia Records was initially concerned whether radio stations would play a single that clocked in at 4:45. It became the first number one song of the sixties when it peaked the charts in January, 1960. It won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording in 1961. The classic vocal harmonies are done by Tompall and the Glaser Brothers and the Spanish guitar accompaniment is by by Grady Martin. Tompall Glaser's highest-charting single is "Throw Another Log on the Fire (The Male Chauvinist National Anthem)", which reached number 21 in 1975.
The Grateful Dead performed "El Paso" live more than 385 times. In 1962 Robbins released the album "More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs". The story of the song "El Paso" was adapted into a 1964 movie called "Ballad of a Gunfighter". It stars Robbins as the outlaw and Joyce Redd as a girl named Secora. The soundtrack features no music by Robbins, but it does include "The Ballad of Hopalong Cassidy", performed by Johnny Rivers.
"The Hanging Tree" was recorded by Robbins as a theme song for a movie of the same name. "White Sport Coat" reached number two.

Answer: Auto Racing

In 1966, Marty began competing on the NASCAR circuit against drivers such as Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Richard Childress. It was because of his love of NASCAR racing that Marty was scheduled to be the last performer on the Saturday night "Grand Ole Opry" shows.

He would compete in the race at the Nashville Speedway and then proceed straight to the Opryhouse where he would perform. Robbins played himself in the 1967 racing film "Hell on Wheels". Marty drove a purple and yellow Dodge with the number 42.

When Kyle Petty began racing, Marty gave the number to him and began using number six. Shortly after his death NASCAR honored Robbins by naming the annual race at Nashville the "Marty Robbins 420".

Answer: Honky Tonk Man

In "Honky Tonk Man" Clint Eastwood plays a novice western singer named Red Stoval who is suffering from tuberculosis and is given a chance to make it at the Grand Ole Opry. Eastwood's son, Kyle, plays his nephew. Marty Robbins has a bit part as a character named Smoky who sings the title song of the film.

Other film appearances by Robbins include a way station attendant on the 1963 television show "30 Minutes at Gunsight". In the 1957 film "Raiders of Old California" he portrays Cpl. Timothy Boyle and he also appears as Filipe in the 1957 film "The Badge of Marshal Brennan". "Every Which Way But Loose" came out in 1979. "Bronco Billy" and "Any Which Way You Can" were released in 1980.

Answer: You Gave Me A Mountain

"You Gave Me A Mountain" first appears on Marty's "It's A Sin" LP, released in 1969. Elvis Presley performed "You Gave Me A Mountain" over 500 times between 1972 and 1977. "Return to Me" was released in 1978. "Among My Souvenirs" is a popular Marty Robbins song released in 1976. "It's Your World" in a 1961 release. Elvis and Marty shared a love of Hawaii and Hawaiian music. Marty recorded his first album of Hawaiian songs in 1959 called "Song of the Islands".

He recorded other albums of Hawaiian music and music from other islands throughout his career including "Hawaii's Calling Me" in 1963. "Hawaii's Calling Me' included Marty's version of "The Hawaiian Wedding Song", a song done by Elvis on his "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack album.

Answer: Some Memories Just Won't Die

In 1982 Marty made the top ten yet again with "Some Memories Just Won't Die". On October 11, 1982, Marty Robbins was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame before his death at age in December at age 57. Presenting the award to him was his good friend, Eddy Arnold. Marty was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998 for his song "El Paso".

A book about Marty's life titled "Marty Robbins: Fast Cars and Country Music" was published by Barbara J. Pruett in 2007. Robbins was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975 and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the recording industry. "Begging to You" is a 1964 Robbins release. "I Walk Alone" is from 1968 and "Devil Woman" was released in 1962.