Posted on 10/01/2007 5:56:07 PM PDT by SandRat
WILLCOX — The city may soon have a museum for another legendary singer from Arizona — Marty Robbins.
The Friends of Marty Robbins announced recently that the Robbins exhibit is being moved from Glendale to Willcox. It will be at a yet-to-be-determined location.
“The hometown of Rex Allen in Willcox has room in their heart for Marty Robbins,” the group’s Web site said.
“Rex Allen is a another Arizona legend from Willcox, Arizona. Rex and Marty were friends in life, and Marty played in Willcox over the years.” said Juanita Buckley, founder and president of the Friends of Marty Robbins.
“The city of Willcox and the Rex Allen Museum understand supporting the legacy of native Arizona cowboy singers and they made a proposal to the Friends of Marty Robbins to bring the exhibit to their town alongside of their legend, Rex Allen.”
Willcox City Manager Mike Leighton welcomed the exhibit.
“This is good. It will be a welcome addition to our Arizona heritage,” he said. “It is through the contacts and efforts of Larry and Delcie Schultz that the Friends of Marty Robbins are bringing the Marty Robbins Museum to Willcox.”
Delcie Schultz, manager of the Rex Allen Museum, said the Marty Robbins Exhibit coming to Willcox is the culmination of the efforts of several people over the past several months
“Larry and I would not have known that the exhibit in Glendale, Arizona, was closing if not for Rex Allen Jr.,” she said. “Rex called me in July of last year and suggested we contact the Friends of Marty Robbins about their future plans. The city of Willcox, especially the efforts of Mike Leighton and (Mayor) Woody Johnson, was instrumental in making the Marty Robbins people feel welcome here. We feel they will make a great addition to our city, and we are looking forward to having them in our historic downtown area.”
Rex Allen Jr. said Robbins is a “native son of Arizona” and a great country performer.
“I am honored that the Marty Robins Museum will forever be located just down Railroad Avenue from The Rex Allen Cowboy Museum,” he said. “Like dad, Marty was an international star and loved by millions. Having his museum in Willcox will not only put Willcox even more on the map here in the U.S., but also internationally.”
“There are many people in Willcox who have worked hard to get the folks at the Marty Robins Museum to locate in Willcox and I for one thank all of them,” Allen added. “It is a great feather in our cap to have another museum in Willcox. And who knows, there may be more. Keep your fingers crossed.”
Buckley said it was an honor for the Robbins exhibit to join the city of Willcox and that the performer will “receive the love and support that he so deserves.”
“And most importantly, he will have a permanent exhibit in his honor in his home state of Arizona,” she said. “We believe that working together, both museums will only enhance the legacies of these two great men, and together we will keep their music and memories alive.”
Buckley said the Friends of Marty Robbins “have worked for 16 years to see our native son receive the honor that he deserves in his hometown of Glendale, Arizona.”
The group presented annual tributes and kept an exhibit open from 2003 to 2006 in a house where Robbins often stayed.
“In those three years we had over 15,000 visitors from all over the world, and we did this with virtually no advertising budget,” Buckley said. “We sought support from city officials in many ways and for reasons unclear and unknown to us, our local officials have no interest in helping to support our efforts or to honor this legend.”
The exhibit closed on March 21, 2006.
“He had many friends here and is well-known and loved within the community,” Buckley said. “Marty has a wonderful legacy, many fans worldwide, and his life story is an inspiration reflecting triumph over adversity.”
Robbins was born Martin David Robinson in Glendale on Sept. 26, 1925.
He acquired his love of all things western from his maternal grandfather, and his love of music and performing from yet another legendary cowboy movie star, Gene Autry.
Robbins joined the Navy in 1943 and developed his interest in songwriting and learned to play the guitar while serving in the South Pacific.
Back in Arizona, he joined a local band. In 1947, he was hired to sing at a Mesa radio station before moving to KPHO radio in Phoenix, where he starred on an hourlong show called “Chuck Wagon Time.”
Robbins soon entered the new world of television and for 15 minutes four times a week entertained on “Country Caravan” before being signed by CBS records in 1951 and recording “Singing the Blues”, “A White Sport Coat”, and his signature song “El Paso”. His career soared until his first heart attack in 1969. He underwent a triple bypass, which was still considered experimental surgery at that time.
While recovering, Robbins wrote the song that earned him his second Grammy Award — “My Woman, My Woman, My Wife” — in honor of his wife Marizona.
He was elected to the Nashville Songwriters International Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and even found time to pursue an acting career and NASCAR racing.
Robbins suffered a massive heart attack and died at the age of 57 on Dec. 8, 1982.
Buckley has already announced that the 17th Annual Marty Robbins Tribute will be held in Willcox.
This year’s tribute concert was held Sept. 22 at the Glendale Amphitheater at Murphy Park in Glendale.
“We invite all of his fans and friends from Glendale and all surrounding areas to join us for Marty’s first Willcox Tribute in September 2008,” Buckley said.
Carol Broeder works for the Arizona Range News of Willcox, a newspaper that is owned by Wick Communications. She can be reached at (520) 384-3571, or by e-mail at arnreporter@qwest.net Some information contained in this article was obtained from the Friends of Marty Robbins’ Web site, www.friendsofmartyrobbins.org
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