This periodic newsletter commemorates the lives of Faron Young and Marty Robbins. The University of Illinois Press is ready to publish Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins and to reissue Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story in soft cover. Both books are available for preorder:

Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/76csn8nh9780252036323.html

Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/68xan8qq9780252032486.html

MARTY ROBBINS BOOK RELEASE EVENT
The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville has confirmed Saturday, March 31st at 12:30 as the time and location to celebrate the release of Twentieth Century Drifter. No details yet on what we’ll actually be doing. I’ll keep everyone posted. (more…)

POLITICAL OPINIONS OF MARTY ROBBINS
I came across a Marty Robbins recording of “Ain’t I Right” on YouTube and thought I would post it so everyone could hear his opinion of politicians and communism in 1966:  http://www.youtube.com/embed/-sEqzEgDZ0g. Marty told an interviewer, “I thought it was a hit. At the time there was a lot of trouble in this country. Everybody was protesting, so that was my way of protesting.” But his version was never released. His record label considered it too controversial. The official recording log of Marty’s Columbia sessions has a line drawn through “Ain’t I Right” and a handwritten Do Not Use in parentheses next to it. Marty didn’t give up so easily. (more…)