My Memory of my sisters meeting with Marty
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I have many fond memories of meeting Martin over the years and especially in the earlier years. I
think that is because I was always astonished at his friendliness, down to earth attitude and
sincerity, something that you ordinarily don't expect to find in a 'star'. This was always the case
and this wonderful personality of his never changed over the many years that he was performing
and his name was a household word. That is the true 'making' of a star, something that he was in
every sense of the word.
One of the memories I recall is when we took my youngest sister to meet him. Let me lay some background first. My brother and I had taken our youngest sister, Edna to see one of Martin's movies that had been released at one of the local drive-in's. The movie was BALLAD OF A GUNFIGHTHER. Edna was about nine or ten at the time and as young as she was, a devoted and serious fan of Martin's. She had to go with us. She watched the entire movie and at the end, where Martin gets killed, she was so upset that she cried her heart out. She really believed he had gotten killed and he'd never sing again....something that she didn't find acceptable at all. She loved his cowboy songs and would sit on the sofa and sing them while she rocked back and forth for hours. Her sadness went on for days and she would often 'bug' us about him being dead. Not too long after this, he came to our community for an autograph party, no concert, just the AP. It was held at a local Ayre- Way store in Speedway. He was here, if I remember correctly, for the race and was to be grand marshal or drive the pace car. Well, I saw this as an excellent opportunity to set her straight on him still being around to sing those great songs of the old west. We took her to the AP. |
| Martin stayed for over four or five hours, just signing autographs, meeting people and just 'shooting the bull' with them all, having fun and just cutting up the whole time. When we were talking to him (there was another wonderful 'incident' that took place at this same AP where Martin 'keeps' my purse with him on the podium for fear it was 'dangerous', for the whole time of the AP...hours.. I believe it is posted at Kristy's MR site), Edna stayed hidden behind me and would not come out to say that |
 Marty and Edna |
first word to him. I told him how she
cried when he got killed in the movie and that she just knew he was dead. He teased her about
not being dead and all she would do was shrink even more behind me. He took his time and just
teased and teased, trying to coax her out from behind me. Finally, I did get her to move out but
she still was too petrified to get within ten feet of him. He thought it was funny.
I kept trying to get her to get close enough to him so that I could get a |
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picture of the two of
them together, preferably both in the same frame. She wouldn't budge. Finally, he looked at me,
winked and then reached for her shoulder.
He gently pulled her over close to him, saying, "Come here, woman". He held her close to his
side while she laughed and tried to pull away.
After he convinced her he wouldn't bite, she calmed down long enough to get the picture. She never did say that first word to him. The picture here is that photo taken that day. After she left the AP, all she could talk about was MARTY ROBBINS....you just couldn't shut her up. She was so happy that he was going to be around to sing more of those beautiful cowboy songs of his, only as he could sing them.....bringing them all to life. Edna, at one time, was the youngest member of his fan club (when Peggy Munson was the prez) and her picture was printed in the MR Fan Club Journal (the journal that the fan club put out on a regular basis). Another interesting note on this story....while traveling through Tennessee one time, my husband and I made a stop in Smyrna Tennessee where he had owned a small Mexican restaurant (named what else? Rosa's Cantina) and the little midget dirt track beside it.....sold it later but the new owner kept the name. They had a wall covered with Martin's photos and in the middle, was a current issue of the fan club journal. The journal was opened, displaying Edna's photo and a 'headline' above it that read, YOUNGEST MEMBER OF MARTY'S FAN CLUB. She was about ten then. My grandmother had given me the money to give her the subscription for her birthday. Edna is still a 'die hard' Marty fan and listens to his music (as well as some of the other 'pioneers' in c/w music) as fervently as ever, (I taught her well) and probably will always consider him one of, if not THE best ever. There was another incident at this particular AP that stands out in my memory that is posted somewhere on the net (perhaps Kristy's MR web site) that you might like to read. The photo that is used for the background on my site was taken at this time.... Please visit Kristy's and all the other sites that are lovingly dedicated to this wonderful talent and true gentleman. There are many! |
