Author Diane Diekman has followed up her 2007 biography of country music star Faron Young with a new book on Marty Robbins. Here she discusses the research and writing of Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins, due out in March 2012 from the University of Illinois Press.
Q: Why did you write the Marty Robbins biography?
Diekman: In August 2005, doing research for Faron Young’s biography, I was watching a tape of the Marty Robbins Spotlight television show, when realization of Marty’s amazing talent hit me. He was already one of my favorite singers, which made me eager to learn more about his music. His NASCAR and Navy connections were additional topics I would enjoy researching. I decided he would be the perfect subject to write about after I finished Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story. No one had yet written a book on his life, and I wanted to be the one to tell his story.
Q: In Marty didn’t you have a multi-layered talent to cover?
Diekman: Oh, definitely, both in music and other facets of his life. He’s a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was a successful businessman who built publishing and recording companies and invested in real estate. Most of his hits were his own compositions. Love songs and western songs were his favorite to sing, and his passions were music and racing, “Ranger Doug” Green of Riders in the Sky says, “For anybody that sings western music, the Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs album is seminal. It’s part of Cowboy 101. It’s just a must listen.” Marty’s record albums included Hawaiian songs, rockabilly, teen ballads, western music, pop standards, and straight country songs. He hosted television shows and starred in movies about country music, cowboys, and stockcar racing. NASCAR’s Bobby Allison says Marty “started out being a singer driving a race car, but he became a race car driver who could sing.”
Photo by: April Diekman
Q: In your research did you learn anything new about Marty?
Diekman: A lot! I didn’t know much about him when I started, other than that he had many hit songs and drove in NASCAR races. I’d known from news reports about his heart attacks and his racing mishaps. I remember being shocked at his death because I thought he was too tough to die. Early in my research, and being used to hearing wild stories about Faron Young, I was surprised to hear only positive things about Marty. But no one is perfect, and I eventually learned about his hot temper and insecurities and standoffishness. Band member Jeff Chandler recalls, “I thought he was trying to rule us with an iron fist so we’d behave ourselves. Now that I look back on it, I think he was insecure and that was the wall he put up. Because he didn’t want to let you too close; he didn’t want you to see the real Marty. So that’s how he kept you at arm’s length. He was an intimidating and imposing figure. I was nervous around him.”
Q: Speaking of research, didn’t you get to talk with Marty’s friends, former band members and family members? Who were some of them?
Diekman: It was fascinating to meet all these people, and I’m grateful for the relationships we developed. I had several long visits with son Ronny Robbins and talked to daughter Janet on the telephone. I conducted telephone interviews with most of Marty’s surviving band members. I had lunch with Joe Babcock and Jim Glaser. Joe helped me arrange a band reunion in 2009. That’s where I met Jack Pruett, Earl White, Haskel McCormick, and bus driver Okie Jones. I already knew Joe Vincent from writing Faron’s biography, as he played steel guitar for both Faron and Marty. Ralph Emery gave me copies of taped interviews, Bill Anderson provided a photo for the book, and both described for me their interactions with Marty. Continue reading →
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The Turner Classic Movies site has published a sparkling review of John Caps’s forthcoming book Henry Mancini: Reinventing Film Music. "Click for larger image")
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Q&A with Marty Robbins biographer Diane Diekman
Posted by michaelQ: Why did you write the Marty Robbins biography?
Diekman: In August 2005, doing research for Faron Young’s biography, I was watching a tape of the Marty Robbins Spotlight television show, when realization of Marty’s amazing talent hit me. He was already one of my favorite singers, which made me eager to learn more about his music. His NASCAR and Navy connections were additional topics I would enjoy researching. I decided he would be the perfect subject to write about after I finished Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story. No one had yet written a book on his life, and I wanted to be the one to tell his story.
Q: In Marty didn’t you have a multi-layered talent to cover?
Diekman: Oh, definitely, both in music and other facets of his life. He’s a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was a successful businessman who built publishing and recording companies and invested in real estate. Most of his hits were his own compositions. Love songs and western songs were his favorite to sing, and his passions were music and racing, “Ranger Doug” Green of Riders in the Sky says, “For anybody that sings western music, the Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs album is seminal. It’s part of Cowboy 101. It’s just a must listen.” Marty’s record albums included Hawaiian songs, rockabilly, teen ballads, western music, pop standards, and straight country songs. He hosted television shows and starred in movies about country music, cowboys, and stockcar racing. NASCAR’s Bobby Allison says Marty “started out being a singer driving a race car, but he became a race car driver who could sing.”
Photo by: April Diekman
Q: In your research did you learn anything new about Marty?
Diekman: A lot! I didn’t know much about him when I started, other than that he had many hit songs and drove in NASCAR races. I’d known from news reports about his heart attacks and his racing mishaps. I remember being shocked at his death because I thought he was too tough to die. Early in my research, and being used to hearing wild stories about Faron Young, I was surprised to hear only positive things about Marty. But no one is perfect, and I eventually learned about his hot temper and insecurities and standoffishness. Band member Jeff Chandler recalls, “I thought he was trying to rule us with an iron fist so we’d behave ourselves. Now that I look back on it, I think he was insecure and that was the wall he put up. Because he didn’t want to let you too close; he didn’t want you to see the real Marty. So that’s how he kept you at arm’s length. He was an intimidating and imposing figure. I was nervous around him.”
Q: Speaking of research, didn’t you get to talk with Marty’s friends, former band members and family members? Who were some of them?
Diekman: It was fascinating to meet all these people, and I’m grateful for the relationships we developed. I had several long visits with son Ronny Robbins and talked to daughter Janet on the telephone. I conducted telephone interviews with most of Marty’s surviving band members. I had lunch with Joe Babcock and Jim Glaser. Joe helped me arrange a band reunion in 2009. That’s where I met Jack Pruett, Earl White, Haskel McCormick, and bus driver Okie Jones. I already knew Joe Vincent from writing Faron’s biography, as he played steel guitar for both Faron and Marty. Ralph Emery gave me copies of taped interviews, Bill Anderson provided a photo for the book, and both described for me their interactions with Marty. Continue reading →