Faron Young and Marty Robbins newsletter — 17 November 2010
MILITARY VETERANS, MARTY ROBBINS AND FARON YOUNG
Seaman Second Class Martin David Robinson stayed on Bougainville after the November 1943 Allied invasion of the Solomon Islands. He advanced to U.S. Navy seaman 1st class, celebrated his 19th birthday, and was still on the island in November 1944. Ten years later, he had become Marty Robbins and was building a singing career in Nashville. When Sergeant Faron Young was discharged from the U.S. Army this week in 1954, he returned to Nashville after spending almost two years recruiting for the Army as Faron Young and the Circle “A” Wranglers. Faron and Marty probably met when Faron’s manager, Hubert Long, booked them on the same tour. They were also both members of the Grand Ole Opry.
Faron Young and the Circle “A” Wranglers
Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins book contract: I’ve submitted the manuscript to the University of Illinois Press. The copyedited version will come back to me in several months for my review. A few people have sent me photos, and the photo spread is close to completion. I’m in the process of sending new permission forms to some of my interviewees to include electronic publishing.
LETTERS
Randall Bart in Hendersonville, Tennessee, requests, “Please add me to your mailing list for your newsletter. I look forward to reading them and your Marty Robbins book!”
Jean Earle writes from the United Kingdom, “We enjoyed the latest newsletter…thank you. We hope you will be very happy in your new home. Autumn has arrived here..very colourful..and a bit chilly. We shall look forward to Marty’s book…well done for getting things organised so well.”
Brian O’Reilly of Hux Records in London announces, “I thought you might like to know our new Marty Robbins CD reissue is released this week:  I Walk Alone / It’s A Sin (cat no HUX116). This ‘2on1’ CD is distributed worldwide and is also available directly from Hux via our website – http://www.huxrecords.com.”
SIDEMAN SIDEBAR
When Wayne Jackson quit playing trumpet in a rock ‘n’ roll band and moved to Nashville in 1977, he joined a group of songwriters in what they called the Equal Opportunity Unemployment Band. Marty’s band members saw him playing piano and trumpet one night, and Marty called the next day to offer him a job. He insisted he was a trumpet player, not a piano player, and Marty assured him he’d do fine. After several months on piano and several years on the trumpet, Wayne left Marty’s band to build his own career. “Every show I did with Marty Robbins was like I had the best seat in the house, because he was so wonderful,” he says. A good description of what Wayne’s been doing lately can be found at: http://www.sweetmedicinemusic.com/Welcome.html.