Marty Robbins' "El Paso" Marks 50th Anniversary
Fifty years ago this week, Marty Robbins was holding down the fort with his Western-tinged country classic, "El Paso," which spent a grande total of seven weeks atop Billboard's country chart. Because the tune was almost twice as long as most country singles back then, clocking in at around four-and-a-half minutes, local disc jockeys would give it a spin whenever they needed a bathroom break. The Grammy-winning song remains Robbins' signature, although he ultimately notched 16 No. 1 hits throughout his 30-year career. Some of my other favorites are "Singing the Blues" (an irresistible sing-along), "Don't Worry" (with that super-groovy guitar fuzz) and "Devil Woman" (about an exceptionally persistent homewrecker). Robbins joined the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982, just a few weeks before his sudden death from heart failure. However, the cinematic story of the bewitching Mexican girl in Rosa's Cantina remains timeless.
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D says:
Marty will NEVER be replaced, no one comes close to his talent and the respect and admiration he had for his fans. It was a sad day in Country Music when Marty passed away. He was one of the TRUE LEGENDS and will always be.
Joan says:
Marty was my Mom’s favorite country artist ever, I grew up with his music, I was lucky to see him perform at the Grand Old Opry in the 60’s as kid with my Mom and Dad.