Marty Robins playing steel

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 12 Aug 2006 10:40 am

Does anyone on this forum have any info on Marty Robins playing steel at any of his performances? I know for a fact that he could play a pedal steel because I happened to show up at one of his pre concert rehearsals in Vancouver in the mid seventies where he was picking away on his steeler’s machine.

A friend of mine claims that he saw Robins doing a couple of numbers on the steel at a show in Denver. From what I was to understand however, Marty never did play the steel in public; even though, from what I heard personally, he could have played a few numbers without a problem.

Can anyone confirm one way or the other if Marty Robins did play the steel in any of his performances?

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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

c c johnson · Post by **c c johnson** » 12 Aug 2006 11:25 am

I don't know about steel but Marty played dobro on his old TV show acouple of times and he was playing Oswald's dobro. CC

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 12 Aug 2006 11:29 am

Les I can't remember seeing him play steel, but I did see Marty Robins from Crossville Tennessee last night in a 4 round bout on Friday Night Fights, he lost.

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Fred Justice,
Justice Custom Cases & Cabinets,
Fred's Music, www.fredjusticemusic.com

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 12 Aug 2006 11:34 am

Little Roy Wiggins told me he went to Marty's house several times and Marty would get his steel out and play the Eddy Arnold songs just like Roy. Roy was honored that Marty was a fan of his.

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 12 Aug 2006 11:36 am

Les, on a more serious note, Marty's home town being right here close,(Glendale Az.) I've not ever heard of him playing steel, that don't mean he didnt.
Marty did play Piano not too shabby though.

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Fred Justice,
Justice Custom Cases & Cabinets,
Fred's Music, www.fredjusticemusic.com

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 12 Aug 2006 1:43 pm

Hi Fred, I know for a fact that Marty Robins did play a steel. I am not saying he was a steel guitar player but he could play reasonably well from what I heard.

Given Marty’s talent and push for flawless performances, I can’t see him sitting in and playing the steel during one of his live performances. A friend of mine however, claims that he did see Marty play the steel at one of his shows somewhere in Kansas.

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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

[This message was edited by Les Anderson on 12 August 2006 at 02:44 PM.]

Bobby Caldwell · Post by **Bobby Caldwell** » 12 Aug 2006 2:06 pm

From what I have heard from some of the Nashville picker's from the fifties' Marty indeed played steel guitar and played very well. He sometimes would go down to Ernest Tubb record shop and sit in on "The Midnight Jamboree". He was into the steel guitar big time and loved all the players especially Jerry Byrd. He was also a good guitar player and I have heard him play. He was pretty good. He really liked the side men who created the music. I would have to say he was a fan of those guys. He was one heck of a talented guy who left us way to soon. Bobby

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 12 Aug 2006 7:30 pm

On one of Marty's TV shows he did get Bill Johnson off the steel and Marty sat down and played on the C6 neck. Jody.[This message was edited by Jody Sanders on 12 August 2006 at 08:31 PM.]

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 12 Aug 2006 8:11 pm

Boy, wouldn't it be great to see a video of that?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 13 Aug 2006 6:53 pm

Marty and Jerry Byrd were good friends. Jerry played on Marty's 50s hits, and then on his two Hawaiian albums. It was he and Marty that went out and finally found Jim Reeves' plane after it went down. According to Jerry's biography, a clairvoyant described the location of the plane, and she was accurate.

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 14 Aug 2006 1:52 pm

Marty played steel guitar right in the very room I'm sitting in right now.
Phred

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"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904

Bill Hamner · Post by **Bill Hamner** » 14 Aug 2006 4:23 pm

Hey guys, Marty was a gifted musician and pretty well knew his way around on any string instrument including the steel.
He enjoyed trading barbs with the guys in his band and you never knew what was coming your way next.Once when I was playing steel for him on a tour date in North Alabama he eased over to me as I was in the midst of a solo, as I ended it he told me If I didn't tighten up he was gonna replace me. Without breaking stride I popped back at him where the heck do you think you will find another steel player around here this time of night. He just opened his eyes real wide and gave me that typical Marty Robbins expression while motioning for me to let him have my seat. The rest of the guys knew what was coming next and led him right back into what I had been playing, He
played a few bars perfectly then got up as if to say he was totally confused by it all. It was all in fun and I will tell you the man wasn't at all confused.

Bill[This message was edited by Bill Hamner on 14 August 2006 at 06:19 PM.]

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 14 Aug 2006 7:54 pm

deleted[This message was edited by James Cann on 14 August 2006 at 08:55 PM.]

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 14 Aug 2006 8:10 pm

Bill; so he did actually play the steel during a stage performance?

I am just trying to clear up some confusion here. Some say he never played on stage and some say he could and did.

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(I am not right all of the time but I sure like to think I am!)

Bill Hamner · Post by **Bill Hamner** » 15 Aug 2006 10:49 am

Les,
One thing that made Marty's performances so interesting was that you never knew what was coming next. Actually much of his routine was unrehersed and kinda spontaneous but it all came off very smoothly.
To those not familiar with a Marty Robbins performance,Marty often seemed to be on the edge and about to fall off but he was always in control and knew exactly where he was headed. Interesting man to know and to work for. Play steel on Stage?? Maybe dabble describes it better.... but boy, what some dabbling!!!

Bill

Dave Clark · Post by **Dave Clark** » 17 Aug 2006 5:32 am

Jerry Byrd mentions Marty's steel playing in his book - "It Was A Trip". Seems like one night a recording session went sour in Nashville - and Jerry went with Marty to his Nashville office. Marty pulled out a lap top, plugged it up, and played Drowsy Waters. Jerry Byrd was impressed, although he already knew that Marty was multi talented - and in Jerry's words "one of a kind".