New Musical Celebrating The Life Of Marty Robbins Launched In North Carolina

Actor and singer Jason Petty pays a terrific tribute to the late great Marty Robbins in “Marty's El Paso,” onstage now at Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina.

Robbins put 90 songs on the charts, including 17 No. 1 hits, and won two Grammys during a career that started in the 1950s and ended with his death in 1982.

“The legend that Marty left us was in his music,” Petty says. “Marty's life was the family life. He endeared himself to his fans, a group called Marty's Army who would follow him everywhere. He was always the most popular on the Grand Old Opry. And he would stay and sign every autograph.

Petty has had a long career connected with country music, singing at the old Opryland theme park in Nashville, starring in “Lost Highway,” which won an Obie award for Off Broadway performance in 2003, and writing and touring with the Hank Williams Sr musical tribute “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes.” He also wrote “Marty's El Paso,” which shares some similarities with the Williams' productions while setting its own tone, he said.

“Hank's life was much more tumultuous,” Petty said. “He had problems with pills and alcohol and his marriage and anger. And he was a musical genius. Marty was also a musical genius but he had two great kids, never drank or smoke and rarely cursed. His only vice was racing cars."

Rather than portray the role of Robbins, Petty said he more or less plays himself telling the singer's story. “It gives me a direction connection to the audience,” he said. “I want it to be like a big front porch,” he said.