On October 11, 1982, Marty Robbins was inducted into the
Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, following a four decade career as one of the most popular American country and western singers of his time. In December of 1982 he was to pass away at the age of 57 due to complications following his cardiac surgery, leaving his "Among My Souvenirs" exhibit in the museum as a final memoir of his successfully glorious and often diverse life.
As a member of the
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the life of Marty Robbins will not only be identified but preserved in the evolving history and traditions of country music, educating the world about who he was, not only as a country music singer, but as an individual. The Hall of Fame and Museum serves an audience which includes fans, students, scholars, members of the music industry, and the general public throughout Nashville and the entire world.
For most of his musical career, Marty Robbins was seldom far from the country music charts, with many of his songs becoming pop hits and winning several awards. Called the "Renaissance Man" due to many venues and versatility, he was successful as a recording artist, stage performer, actor, author, songwriter, and stock car racer. Labeled as one of the more successful crossover artists during the 1950s and 1960s, he was famous for many varieties of musical styles but specialized in his favorite, the pop ballads.
After a difficult childhood which ended up with Marty Robbins entering the Navy in his teens, his career began in 1947 with his own radio and television shows on KPHO in Phoenix. He was a guest on the Jimmy Dickens TV show which gave him the break he needed to sign with Columbia Records, which he remained with throughout his career with his favorite songs from the Old West, other than a short period from 1972-1974 when he was under Decca/MCA Records. Before he was to pass away, in 1982 he portrayed a musician in the Clint Eastwood film "Honkytonk Man". Today he is not only honored in the
Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, but the city of El Paso, Texas, has honored him by naming a park and a recreational center after him.
