Marty Robbins

• Genre: Cowboy

About

Although he's best known for his old-timey cowboy anthems, Marty Robbins was not that much different from Roger Miller in that there was so much more to his musical style than what was commercially successful. Sure, he was known for his classic gunfighter ballads but he also played and recorded some rootsy rock 'n' roll songs as well as some lush, string-laden pop. Robbins' youth was peppered with many exciting and rich Americana experiences; his grandfather was a medicine show man who spun wild tales of the Wild West, so it shouldn't have been a big surprise that he worked at a dude ranch, before quitting school and living his life as a freewheelin' hobo. After a stint in the military, he started playing cowboy songs under the pseudonym of "Jack Robinson." It wasn't long before success found him and he decided to play under the name Marty Robbins.

- Eric Shea