Born in Glendale, Arizona, Robbins taught himself guitar while serving in the United States Navy during World War II, and subsequently drew fame performing in clubs in and around his hometown. In 1956, he released his first No. 1 country song, "Singing the Blues" and one year later, released two more No. 1 hits, "A White Sport Coat" and "The Story of My Life". In 1959, Robbins released his signature song, "El Paso", for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. Later releases that drew critical acclaim include "Don't Worry", "Big Iron" and "Honkytonk Man", the last for which the 1982 Clint Eastwood film is named, and in which Robbins made his final appearance before death.
Over the course of his career, Robbins recorded more than 500 songs and 60 albums, and won two Grammy Awards, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was named the 1960s Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music. Robbins was a commercial success in both the country and pop genres, and his songs were covered by many other famous artists, including Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead and Elvis Presley. His music continues to have an influence in pop culture today, having recently appeared in several contemporary pop culture features, including the video game Fallout: New Vegas, and the series finale of AMC's Breaking Bad.
Robbins was born in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona. His mother was mostly of Paiute Indian heritage. Robbins grew up in a difficult family situation. His father took odd jobs to support the family of 10 children; however, his hard drinking led to divorce in 1937. Among his warmer memories of his childhood, Robbins recalled having listened to stories of the American West told by his maternal grandfather, Texas Bob Heckle, who was a local medicine man. At 17, Robbins left his troubled home to serve in the United States Navy as an LCT coxswain during World War II. He was stationed in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. To pass the time during the war, he learned to play the guitar, started writing songs, and came to love Hawaiian music.
Robbins' discography consists of 52 studio albums, 13 compilation albums, and 100 singles. In his career, Robbins charted 17 Number One singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, as well as 82 Top 40 singles.
Robbins' highest charting album is 1959's Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. It charted to #6 on the all-genre Billboard 200, and was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album's first single, "El Paso", became a hit on both the country and pop charts, charting to Number One on the Hot Country Songs as well as the Billboard Hot 100. While that would be his only pop Number One, in 1957, "A White Sport Coat" charted to #2, and in 1961, "Don't Worry" charted to #3.
His final Top 10 single was "Honkytonk Man" from the 1982 eponymous film in which Robbins had a role. He died shortly before its release. Since his death, four posthumous studio albums have been released, but they made no impact on the charts.
Robbins married Marizona "Mari" Baldwin on September 27, 1948. They had two children, Ronny and Janet, and were married 34 years until his death.
Island Echoes
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They bring back moments tender to fill my memory
Now I'm alone in moonlight that you and I had shared
Pretending we're together remembering how you cared
The laughter and the good times the many things we planned
The romance in the moonlight castles in the sand
I love those Island echoes echoes they must be
[ steel ]
The laughter and the good times...
The lyrics to "Island Echoes" by Marty Robbins convey a sense of nostalgia and longing for a past relationship. The singer is alone, surrounded by the sounds of the island, which reminds them of times spent with their loved one. The echoes of the island and the memories they bring back are comforting, but also serve to intensify the singer's feelings of loneliness and longing for their lost love.
The lyrics explore themes of memory, longing, and the passage of time. The singer is not only remembering the good times they shared with their loved one, but also grappling with their absence in the present. The phrase "Pretending we're together remembering how you cared" evokes a sense of longing for the past and a desire to recapture that feeling of closeness and affection.
Overall, the lyrics of "Island Echoes" are a poignant exploration of love, loss and the power of memory to keep the past alive in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
The same old Island echoes are stealing through the trees
The familiar echoes of the island are drifting in with the breeze
They bring back moments tender to fill my memory
Those echoes revive precious memories and make them new
Now I'm alone in moonlight that you and I had shared
While bathed in moonlight, I am by myself, though once we shared this light together
Pretending we're together remembering how you cared
Even though you're not here with me, I pretend and reminisce about how much you cared
The laughter and the good times the many things we planned
Our memories rekindle the joy, the plans and the good times we had shared
The romance in the moonlight castles in the sand
The memories also bring back the romance we had together building castles on the beach
I love those Island echoes echoes they must be
I cherish those echoes from the island, echoing as they do
Till some glad tomorrow when you come back to me
I eagerly await the happy day when you return to me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JERRY BYRD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zoya Oskolkoff
I agree with you and I always felt Mary would have been able to sing opera had he wanted to. He had a tremendous voice range. He should be rated as a top voaclist for sure.
Robert Thomas
I have to agree. The man was a beautiful singer and he had so many talents. He could pick the guitar, play the piano and also speak and sing in Spanish and spoke some Hawaiian. He was my favorite male singer.
Robert Thomas
Amen to that. He was quite a talent. He parted this world far too early. I loved his singing.
Gayle Fletcher - Shaw
Listening to his beautiful voice takes away all the stresses in life.
Ruth Mason
He has been my favorite for many years...I love him !!
Linda Holt Moorehead
My favorite singer, songwriter and entertainer of all of my 78 years!
wayne brown
One of the best. I am 71 yrs old and loves older country music from a better time
nicholasmoore946@gmail
Hello Linda
Irene Arnault
wow what a great singer, He was so glad we can enjoy his wonderful voice
Primrose Haran
marty is simply wonderful love everything he does